


Love of a Giant

by TheBigLoserQueen



Series: Giant AU [1]
Category: Original Work, Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Birthday, Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Fights, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, GT, Genderbending, Giant/Tiny, Giants, Height Differences, Het, Human, Kings & Queens, Kissing, Language, Love, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Minor Violence, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Past Sexual Abuse, Princes & Princesses, Romance, Royalty, Size Difference, Slow Build, Slow Romance, TINY - Freeform, Underage - Freeform, Underage Kissing, giant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-18
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-26 13:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 95,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5006719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBigLoserQueen/pseuds/TheBigLoserQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the human empire and giant kingdom are plagued with the possibility of war, the Prince of Giants, Bloodshed, must marry one of the human king's daughters in order to strengthen the weakening bond between the two kingdoms. While he did it for his kingdom, he didn't think he would actually grow to like one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ultra Magnus was troubled. The peace between the human kingdom and the giant kingdom was now faltering after more than two hundred years of peace. If something wasn't done soon, he feared another war would break out and the giants would enslave the entire human population.   
  
But how? How could he convince Bombrush, the king of the Giants, to not destroy their kingdom and turn them all into slaves? Or to not just wipe them off the face of the Earth?  
  
He remembered his last conversation with the other king even though it had been almost five years ago. He had not been part of the tragic event, only hearing about it afterwards. In fact, the first sign something had happened was when he had heard the king of the giants’ haunting cry after his queen had passed on.  
  
In the ensuing days afterwards, word had spread about the queen's death and how giants had been turned down by a medicine man on the edge of the human kingdom while trying to get a cure for the sick queen. Ultra Magnus had tried to contact the human ambassador in the giant kingdom only to have the man arrive at his castle's walls with the horrible news.  
  
Even to this day, no one knew why Pixela, Bombrush's wife, had fallen ill with a high fever. But everyone knew that she had and that she had passed away because of that bigot medicine man on the edge of his kingdom. That fool! Why had he not just given the medicine?! Because of that man's prejudice, humans were barred from the giant kingdom and any human stepping into their territory would be murdered without hesitation! The trading markets between them were collapsing and merchants were getting into heated - and even bloody - disputes.   
  
He had to find a way to stop this. As king of the human empire, he had to find a way to restore peace between the two kingdoms and stop a war from happening between them! But how?!  
  
His wife, Charlotte, seeing how distressed he had been over the entire matter, had took it upon herself to write to the Giant King and plead with him to come meet with her husband and resolve this growing conflict. Ultra never knew what she had written in the letter, but, quite surprisingly, Bombrush had responded in the positive, telling her he would gladly meeting with the Ultra to settle this.   
  
It was... strange. Almost too strange. Five years ago, Bombrush wanted nothing to do with the human kingdom and seemingly wanted them all dead. What had changed that? Was it a trick, perhaps? He didn't know, but he didn't like it either.  
  
On the day of the meeting, he and his Elite Guard left to meet the King of the Giants on neutral ground between their kingdoms. Setting up at one side of the vast grassy field they were to meet at, Ultra and seven of his best guards and bodyguards rode out to the middle of the field.  
  
They waited for only a few minutes before they saw the King and three other giants approach them. It had been a long time since Ultra had actually seen a giant, forgetting their height. Bombrush, apparently, was taller than most giants, standing ten feet tall and towering over the eight humans. But the humans remained unafraid as the four giants stepped up to them, Bombrush peering down at him.   
  
He gave a small smile. "It certainly has been a long time, hasn't it, Ultra?"  
  
The human king nodded. "Yes... It has been."  
  
Bombrush chuckled at the cautious tone in the other's voice. He raised a hand, as if to calm the other down. "No need to be so fearful. The threat I made all those years ago no longer stands. I will not do you or any human harm."   
  
Ultra let out a relieved breath. Well... that was certainly a pleasant thing to hear. Still, despite his worries being soothed slightly, he was a bit suspicious. Why the sudden change? He had been ready to murder him and his people five years because of what happened to his wife. Now he suddenly was all right with things?  
  
Bombrush caught onto the man's suspicion and huffed. "I want to repair the damages my fury has caused," he said, the human king now looking up at him. "After my wife's death... I did loathe your kind for denying her the medicine that would have cured her." But, through his wife's writings that he had found, he learned that he had been foolish and ignorant. It was not the entire human population's fault... Just that single-minded bastard's fault. "My hatred caused strain and hard times to both our kingdoms and, like you, I wish to fix this. I do not want another war, as I'm sure you don't either."   
  
Ultra nodded. While Bombrush seemed sincere, he wasn't about to completely trust him. Not when one of the last things he had said to him was a threat.  But if the giant wanted peace, then peace he would negotiate.   
  
But what should they do? Things had gotten so bad between the two kingdoms... What could they do?  
  
He looked to the giant. "Have you any ideas in mind as to how we can resolve this? It will be incredibly difficult, especially with some of the revenge-seeking giants causing a great panic among the human villagers who live along the border."  
  
"They needn't panic much longer," Bombrush said. "I have had my men dealing with those giants for the past two years now."  
  
Ultra nodded. He had thought that the reports of giants terrorizing the villagers had decreased, but he had never focused too much on it, considering he had been more focused on the horrid idea of a war breaking out.   
  
"I am more than willing to reopen the trading routes," Bombrush added, drawing Ultra's attention back to him. "I am also willing to provide protection to any human merchants who wish to come through those routes."  
  
"It is a start, but I doubt that alone will pacify the ever growing tension."  
  
"I am aware of that."  
  
"Perhaps we could each give a public speech to our kingdoms. To tell them that there is no need for such hatred and violence."  
  
"I don't think that will do much. If anything, it may appear as if we're giving in and that might make our people angrier." He gave a small huff. Bombrush had an idea, one that would most likely be the answer to their problem. But he knew how... protective the other was, especially when it came to his family. Not that he wasn't protective over his own, but Ultra was extremely over protective. Still, he had to offer.   
  
"When other neighboring kingdoms have issues such as ours," Bombrush started slowly, trying to hint his suggestion to the other. "They try to establish pacts between each other... often in the form of marriage as a marriage symbolizes unity and harmony. And it often works out, restoring peace to the kingdoms and, for the most part, everyone is content."   
  
Bombrush didn't think he had ever seen the human king's face turn as white as it just did. Not even when he had threatened his entire kingdom with death as punishment for his wife's death did the king turn lifeless. The other had held his ground and calmly, though shaking in his boots, bid him farewell before leaving. But the sight of the human almost growing old before him was truly a sight to behold.  
  
Ultra would have been the same at the sight of Bombrush being visible disturbed if it were not the fact that the other had just suggested his son and one of his daughters marry for the sake of an eternal pact between their kingdoms. If Bombrush had made the offer to some other nobleman and his daughter, Ultra would have felt some pity for the man. But even he would have agreed that it was the best option and the only one that would guarantee success in restoring peace to their kingdoms.  
  
Still, it meant that he would have to give up one of his daughters to the Prince of the Giants. One of his precious and most beloved daughters. Eclipse, Cometstar, Starshine, Red Moon, and Thornstriker. All of them proof of his love with Charlotte. All of them unique and worthy in their own ways. Brave, Beautiful, Confident, Intelligent, and Kind. They were all his joy and pride.  
  
While he respected Bombrush and knew the man other than the bereaved and vengeful being that he was after his wife's death five years ago, he knew next to nothing about his son Bloodshed. Ultra had only seen the child once and that was long before the boy's mother died. He had no idea what sort of person the prince was. Was he a confident and respectful young man like his own Airstream? Was he a weak and humble one like Smokebomb? Or worse, was he ruthless and tyrannical, like the Giant King Megatron in the far North region?  
  
Even if the young prince was like one of his sons, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't hold out if the boy were to marry a human. The boy had lost his mother at a young age because a human refused to give them medicine to save her. And with his father in an enraged mourning state after her death, there was no way to tell if any of that had rubbed off on the young giant. What if he hated his wife-to-be because she was human? What if the young giant were to abuse her, making her pay for what happened to his own mother?  
  
Seeing the man grow even paler than before, Bombrush knew he had to calm him down before he fainted. "As my son is still just a child himself, perhaps it is best that we... wait on that suggestion."  
  
Ultra blinked, looking up at the other.   
  
"My son is only eleven," he explained. "And we don't know for sure as to whether or not what we suggested before will work or not. For all we know, a marriage between my son and one of your daughters would be completely unnecessary if everything else works instead."  
  
Ultra slowly nodded. That was true... Perhaps he wouldn't have to marry off one of his daughters. Perhaps things could work out with just some great changes. Yes, yes it could work... It had to work...  
  
"But I do believe we should... keep it as a back-up option."  
  
The king blinked. "A... back-up option?"  
  
"Yes. If in ten years the peace between us is still unstable, then I think it is necessary for my son to marry one of your five daughters. By that time, my son will be an adult and all your daughters will be of nubile age."  
  
Ultra nodded. Though he still didn't like the idea of having to give up one of his children, at least they wouldn't be young children. He took a deep breath and looked up at the giant king. "Must I decide now as to which of my daughters will need to marry your son?"  
  
"I think it would be best if we allowed Bloodshed to choose," he said. "This way, the burden is taken from you. Also, at least this way we give Bloodshed a choice in the matter and he can choose which daughter he likes best."  
  
Ultra frowned a little at this. With this, he couldn't allow any of his daughters to marry until the boy made his choice. And he didn't like the idea of having his daughters be chosen as if they were dolls on a shelf. And what if Bloodshed only picked one that he believed would be the easiest to abuse...? But he couldn't choose one for the boy. What if the prince didn't like the one he picked? It would create more problems instead of solving the ones they had.  
  
He huffed. "Very well... We shall settle on that then."  
  
Bombrush nodded.  "Agreed. Hopefully, we won't need to resort to that to solve our problems."  
  
The human king nodded, though still looked very sick. It wasn't as if they could just snap their fingers and fix the hatred and fear between their two kingdoms like so. It would take much time and required careful planning and luck on their side. Any single horrible event caused between the two races could shatter the peace just like that and they're would be no way to stop the impending war. But while ten years seemed like a long time, it was hard to say if they could resolve the tension between their kingdoms in that much time.  
  
Ultra looked back up to his neighboring king, "As for the trade routes to be opened?"  
  
"We can set up another meeting for later to discuss that if you wish," Bombrush offered with sympathy for his fellow monarch. The poor human had been through enough for today. "I do believe we will need some time to prepare negotiations on opening the routes and other agreements, don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, yes, that is true." Ultra was grateful for that. Even though they could start some negotiations now, he was too emotionally compromised by the promises they had already made today. He couldn't possibly do any negotiations or compromises while having the fate of his daughter's futures hang over his head as it was now.  
  
"Then if there is nothing else to be said, my men and I will return to our kingdom," Bombrush offered.  
  
The smaller king nodded, bowing his head to the other in respect. "Until we meet again, Bombrush."  
  
Giving each other a proper farewell, the two kings returned to their camps and eventually their castles. Much was to come to ensure the peace between both kingdoms and for one of the kings, it meant more than just the peace. It meant the life of one of his precious daughters. And possibly having to sacrifice it to ensure their kingdom's survival.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nine years since that day on the neutral ground. When he had returned home, he had taken Charlotte to their bed chamber and told her about the marriage deal. Like him, she had been mortified, but ultimately and reluctantly accepted it. They had agreed to not tell any of their children about the matter, just wanting them to live in blissful ignorance. Besides, surely whatever else Ultra Magnus and Bombrush could come up with would work.  
  
Or so they had thought nine years ago. While opening the trade routes and the installment of new anti-hate laws had been put into place, peace was still faltering among the two kingdoms. There were still fights and still terror among the people of both kingdoms and they were almost down to the ten year mark. When Bloodshed would choose one of their daughters to be his wife if peace between the humans and giants had not been restored.  
  
While Ultra still held out to some hope, Charlotte knew. She knew one of her precious daughters would have to marry Bloodshed in the name of peace. She didn't want to think about it, but it was so hard. Too hard.   
  
It finally got to the point where she could no longer just dismiss it. One night, when she and her family were having dinner, she broke down and started sobbing hard at the table. She buried face into her hands, wailing at the idea of marrying off one of her children so they could keep peace. It would not be out of love, but out of the need for stability. She hated that. She wanted her children to be able to choose their spouses out of love like she had been able to! But for one of them, it wasn't meant to be.  
  
"Charlotte," Ultra said, getting up and moving over to her, helping to her feet. "Charlotte, my love, please..."  
  
"Mother?" Airstream, their oldest son, said, now standing up. "Mother, what is it?"  
  
"Mother?" Eclipse stood up as well. "Why are you so upset? What's wrong?"  
  
Ultra buried her face into his chest, stroking over her hair. Damn it, he couldn't allow the children to see her this way! Not when she was so hysterical over what will happen to one of the girls... He turned to them and pointed to the door. "Leave us. I need to be with her alone."   
  
Charlotte just grew angry at that. They couldn't keep lying to them anymore! It had been one thing when they had believed that this would never come to be. It was an entirely different matter now that it was basically set in stone that one of their daughters would be wedded off to the Giant Prince!  
  
She shoved away from the king, tears still pouring down her face. He reached out to pull her into an embrace again, but she smacked him hard across the face.  
  
Gasps and cries filled the room, some of the children calling out her name in shock and horror. But she paid no mind to them, glaring at her husband as he rubbed the cheek she had just smacked. She pointed at the children and screamed, "Tell them the truth! You tell them the truth now!"  
  
Ultra Magnus looked stunned. He had known Charlotte to lose her temper once in a while, but never had she hit him. But when she demanded he tell the children of the deal, he panicked. "My love, we cannot do that! We still have time before the promised day!"  
  
"Father?!" Smokebomb cried.  
  
"Mother, what's going on?" Airstream said, narrowing his eyes.   
  
"What's the promised day?" Acid Rain demanded.   
  
"Children, go to your rooms, now!" Ultra rarely raised his voice to his children, but with his carefully constructed false hope falling down around him, he was unwilling to break the glass over the truth that he could not hope for the arranged marriage to never be needed. Even he could see that all of his and King Bombrush's efforts to restore the peace were doing little. But he didn't want to acknowledge their futility yet, even after reports of a family's killing by a rogue giant just last week proving it.  
  
The queen could not take it anymore. While she had been more than willing to hold out hope like her husband, it was too late to hope for the best. And she refused to let her daughters be blindsided by the arranged marriage because of Ultra's petty attempts of false hope. "My king, if you will not tell them, I will!"  
  
"Charlotte, you cannot-!"  
  
"They must be told! The future of one of our daughter's will be ripped away from one of them and I will not let them go through it without warning. Even you wouldn't be cruel enough to do that to one of our girls!"  
  
"M-Mother?" Cometstar and Starshine said, both shocked by her words.   
  
"Father, what does Mother mean our future will be taken from us?" Eclipse demanded.   
  
"Please tell us what's going on, Father!" Red Moon pleaded.  
  
"Father..." Tears began to form at corners of Thornstriker's eyes.  
  
Unable to look at her husband any longer, the queen turned to her children. The tears poured faster down her face, shaking her head as she tried to calm herself. But she couldn't. All she could think of was one of her daughters marrying a giant and be taken from her forever, never being able to experience love like she had been able to.   
  
"I-I'm so sorry...!" she sobbed out, stretching out her arms to her youngest child as she was the closet, wrapping her arms tightly around Thornstriker's body. "My precious children, I'm so sorry...!"   
  
Thornstriker didn't understand, looking to her siblings for help. But they were just as lost as she was, looking to their father for answers.   
  
The king finally couldn't take it anymore. Charlotte was right. They needed to know the truth. They deserved to know the truth. He turned to them and gestured to the dining table. "All of you... Please, sit down."  
  
The children exchanged glances with each other, but did as their father asked. Thornstriker stepped away from her mother, who reached out to her when she tried to step away, but Ultra came up behind the woman and held her to him. She struggled a bit, but he shushed her and was able to calm her down a bit. She sobbed a bit as he guided her to her chair, gently sitting her down again.  
  
"Father."  
  
The king looked up at the oldest prince, seeing his eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "What’s going on?"  
  
He huffed. "My children..." he started off, trying to find the words. "As you are all aware, the peace between humans and giants is not as stable as we could hope it to be." He watched as his children nodded to him, prompting him to continue. "The Giant King and I have been working as hard as we can to restore the peace between our kingdoms as it once was, but... Nothing we have been doing has proven to be of any true significant value."  
  
He looked away from them, especially when he heard his wife begin to sob harder. He walked over to the window, resting his hand against it. "Nine years ago... I met Bombrush in neutral territory to discuss possible solutions to our dwindling peace. And... And he suggested... And we agreed on..."  
  
He couldn't say it. How could he tell his children that he had agreed to letting Bloodshed choose one of the girls to be his bride and having their future being taken away from then in the name of peace?! He had never wanted to do anything like that to his children! Never! And yet... with that agreement, he had. He was taking one of their futures away from them.   
  
"Just tell them...!" Charlotte hissed in between her sobbing. "God, just tell them...!"  
  
The king shut his eyes tightly, his hand on the glass balling up into a fist. "We agreed that this next year, on Bloodshed's twenty-first birthday, if peace between the two kingdoms had not been restored to a stable state... Then he... Then Bloodshed would choose one of you girls to be his bride... His wife... in order to establish a stable pact between the two kingdoms."   
  
Silence followed first as the children just stared at their parents. No… No that had to be a lie. They wouldn’t do something like that and not tell them about it! One of the girls… would be married off to the Prince of Giants?! They wouldn't be able to marry someone they loved?! They would have to be that giant's wife and live in his kingdom until the day they died?! No... No!  
  
"You..."  
  
Ultra turned to his eldest son, who was just staring at him with somewhere between horror and disgust.   
  
"You... You must be joking," he said, his voice wrapped in complete disbelief. "You... You would never do that... You had told us all since birth you didn't believe arranged marriages were right..."  
  
He looked down at the floor. Yes, he had told his children that. He didn't believe in arranged marriages. Like Charlotte, they believed marriage should have been out of love. It shouldn't have been set up for the benefit of a kingdom in terms of power or wealth.  
  
But this marriage wasn't gaining anyone power or wealth. It was about preventing a war, about saving both kingdoms from destruction and devastation. It still made him hypocritical, but damn it, it was the only way! He couldn't bear to send his sons or any of his men out into a war against giants! They would surely die! He had to protect his people, his family...  
  
Even if that meant sacrificing one of his beloved daughters to the Prince of Giants.  
  
"N-No..."  
  
Everyone looked to Cometstar, who was now standing up and staring at her father in terror, tears in the corner of her eyes. Ultra bit his bottom lip and huffed, knowing very well why she was upset. She had a strong relationship with Duke Static, but because of this arranged marriage deal, Ultra had forbidden them to court and marry. He had not given her a reason as to why they could not marry if they were in love. At least not until now.  
  
"Y-You mean to tell me you won't let me marry Static b-because... because of this arranged marriage?!" she shouted, tears now pouring down her face. She couldn't be with the one she loved because of this stupid arrangement?! Even if she had not been chosen, there was still a chance she may be. And if that were to happen, she would never be able to marry the man she loved! She would forced to marry a man she didn't love, a  _giant!_  
  
"Cometstar, please, I know this is hard, but-"  
  
"NO!" she screamed. "NO! I-I won't go through with this! I-I won't allow my future with Static to be ripped away from me!"  
  
"Cometstar-"  
  
But the princess could no longer handle it, weeping before running out of the room, ignoring Ultra's call after her. Seeing her twin run out of the room, Starshine soon followed her, not wanting to be apart from her when she was in such a state. And she didn't want to be there either. She didn't want to marry one of those horrifying monsters either!  
  
Watching his older twin sisters retreat, Smokebomb began to shake and tremble in his seat. One of his sisters... would have to marry a giant? One of them would be forced to live with them as his wife, who might hurt her for any given reason?! That wasn't right! It wasn't fair to do that to any of them! How could Father agree to something like this?!  
  
Thornstriker looked over, seeing Smokebomb cave in on himself. She quickly stood up and moved over to her older brother, wrapping her arms tightly around him and bringing him against her chest. Feeling warmth, the older boy hugged back, holding on to his littlest sister.   
  
Thornstriker fought to keep herself from shaking, but it was hard! Either she or one of her sisters would have to marry the Giant Prince! One of them wouldn't be able to experience love or happiness a marriage could bring... They would be taken off to some foreign land filled with nothing but giants... God, why was this happening to them?   
  
"This is madness."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Airstream again, who had moved from his chair to approach the king. Ultra just looked at him as he stepped up to him, the prince growled out, "You just didn't think hard enough. You didn't try hard enough to come up with something better. You and that monstrous king could only try to find the easy way out of this and force a marriage between one of my sisters and that bastard giant's son!"  
  
The king narrowed his eyes. "I am your father and your king, Airstream. You best mind you tongue."  
  
"Mind my tongue? Mind my tongue?!" He barked out a bitter, humorless laugh. "I will mind my tongue, my king, when you admit that there are other options aside from forcing one of your own daughters into something as awful as this!"  
  
Eclipse, sensing the growing anger and frustration between her father and her older brother, quickly moved over to the two men. She gently placed her hands on her brother's shoulders, rubbing them in hopes to calm him down. Airstream blinked and looked at her, stunned to see her giving him a scornful look. He opened his mouth to demand why, but she shook his head at him, turning to the king.  
  
"Father," she said gently. "Please... There... There must have been another option aside from this one. Surely, there must have been another plan?" She didn't want to believe that this was all they could come up with. If it came down to it, she would marry a giant to save the kingdoms from war, but... that didn't mean she had to mindlessly agree to such a thing. Not if it was preventable.   
  
Ultra gave a heavy huff. He reached out to his oldest daughter, resting a hand on her head and running a hand against her hair. "My children, please... This was only a last resort choice of ours. We did everything we could to try and avoid this, but... but the peace between us will not last even with everything we have been doing to unite the two kingdoms again."  
  
"But..." Eclipse felt her knees growing weak, but she couldn't let that stop her now. "But... couldn't we look for another way? Surely there must be some other way.  It might take some time, but can't we-?"  
  
"We have... no more time left."  
  
The room fell somber at the king's defeated appearance.  
  
"Surely even you know about the conflicts that engulf the edges of our kingdoms, right my children?"  
  
The young princes and princesses hesitantly nodded in answer. They were not oblivious to the state of their father's kingdom.  
  
The king turned away from his eldest children to look out the window again. "Yes, if we had more time, there may have been something else we could have done to mend the peace between us.  But as it stands... the hatred and anger between our kinds is rising to a point where it will soon be impossible to appease. The reason we decided on this was because both King Bombrush and I knew that if we did not resolve the relationships between our kingdoms in a matter of years..."  
  
He clenched his fist as helplessness swept though his aging body. "War would come."  
  
Silence filled the room as a wave of horror came over the children. They knew that such animosity could lead to war. It was what happened over two hundred years ago when the hate grew to be too much between the giants and the humans. The human empire had almost been wiped out and it would have been completely if it hadn't been for the Giant King showing mercy towards the humans.   
  
But what if no mercy came this time around? If it didn't come... then the humans would cease to be.   
  
"Is there... Is there really no way to change this?" Red Moon asked in a small, sheepish voice.  
  
When Ultra did not turn around, Charlotte turned to the child instead and sadly shook her head. "It would take a miracle from God to change this. My children... There is no use holding onto any hope that peace will come to our kingdoms in any other way. Just abandon the idea now. There isn't any other way."  
  
Another heavy silence fell upon them.   
  
Acid Rain, who had been silent throughout the whole conversation, asked in a hushed voice, "When is the promised date, Father?"  
  
Unable to look back to his children, already knowing what their expressions were, he answered back in an empty voice, having the date burnt into his memory all those years ago that it came out almost as if it were instinct, "This December. Three days before the beginning of the new year."  
  
The royal children turned to each other. It wasn't tomorrow, but it meant that for one of the girls, it would mean that by next year... she would have to reside with the heir to the Giant Kingdom. And have to live with him, be loyal to him ... and do their duty as his wife by bearing him an heir. They would have to give themselves up to a complete stranger. A marriage without love.  
  
Ultra finally waved a hand to them. "Go. Leave me and your mother be... Please."  
  
The children turned to each other again before they looked to their mother. Charlotte just gave them a pleading look, gesturing for them to leave with a small bow of her head. Finally, they obeyed their parents plead and slowly excited the room one by one, though Thornstriker, the last to leave, paused at the doorway as she looked back at her heartbroken parents.   
  
Her father suddenly looked so much older than he was, almost like an elderly man. Her mother looked completely haggard, as if all the life had been sucked out of her. She bit her bottom lip. This deal was hurting them just as much as it was hurting her and her siblings. She knew Father didn't want to give up her or her sisters, but... This had to be done, even if no one wanted it.  
  
With a defeated sigh, she turned away. Three days before the end of the year. That was the day Bloodshed would chose either her or one of her sisters as his wife. And they could do nothing but wait until the day came, leaving their fate in Bloodshed's hand.   
  
She could only pray that everything would work out in the end.


	3. Chapter 3

Bloodshed sat down on a fallen log in the garden behind the human castle, not minding the gentle snowfall as flakes landed on him. Luckily he had his hood on, so none of it got on his hair or face. It simply decorated his black and brown clothes and dark red cloak.   
  
He huffed, looking down at the hands that rested on his lap. Today was it. Today was the day he would meet human king's daughters before choosing one as his wife. He could still remember when Bombrush had told him about this day six years ago. He had protested at first, claiming that he had hated humans because a human had caused his mother death, but Bombrush had fiercely scolded him for such words. Not all humans were like that bigot medicine man and Pixela would have been upset to know her son hated the creatures she was so fond of.  
  
Now he simply was completely indifferent toward them. He was also completely indifferent towards this arranged marriage. He didn't exactly want to marry a human, but only because he didn't want a wife who would be afraid of him all the time and treat him as if he were some sort of monster. And to think they would have to live in the newlywed manor for a year... Christ, this would be torture.   
  
Still, at least his father had given him a choice of one of the five daughters the human king had, so it wasn’t completely an arranged marriage. He did have some say in it, which was nice. He wished he could have found love on his own though. Not that he was currently interested in love now, just mainly sex, hence he had his own brothel back home since he was eighteen.   
  
As it turned out though, he would have to put his brothel aside. He had sworn to himself that, whenever he had married, he would remain faithful to his wife. Of course, he had never expected his wife to be a human. Still, a vow was a vow and he would have to uphold it.   
  
He heard a crunch in the snow. He looked up, seeing a woman in a lavender gown and gray cloak and hood approach him. The oldest princess, he assumed. Not wanting to be rude, he took off his hood and slowly stood up. He could have sworn he saw her flinch when he stood, but he paid no mind to it.  
  
The princess finally stepped in front of him, removing her hood, and curtseyed. Bloodshed bowed as he observed her. She was a certainly a beauty, very regal and sophisticated. Well, it should have been expected of the oldest daughter, he supposed.   
  
“Princess…?”  
  
“Eclipse,” she said softly, looking up at him. And there it was – the fear lingering in her eyes. Christ, did every human think he was that scary because he was a giant?! He wouldn’t hurt anyone unless provoked.   
  
“Princess Eclipse,” he said, nodding to himself. He had to be careful with these princesses. They were human, making them fragile to him. Not to mention that they were probably by frightened by giants from horror stories about what the rogue ones had done. “It’s… finally nice to see what you look like.”  
  
“Thank you… It’s nice to see what you look like too.” And God, was he a frightening sight to behold. While he did look like his father, Bloodshed had longer hair and the brightest burning red eyes she had ever seen. He also wore this apathetic expression and it looked as if he was angry when he wasn’t.   
  
She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her hands, remembering the conversation she had had with her mother that morning. She knew Charlotte loved her… But she was also the eldest, which is why the queen had come to her in the first place about the matter.   
  
Bloodshed was choosing the princess he liked best. And Eclipse was already twenty-five years old. She should have been married already. She was a level-headed adult, mature and fit to stand by any man’s side as their wife. So, in tears, Charlotte had asked her to try and please Bloodshed the most so that he would choose her, sparing her younger sisters from a marriage to a giant. They would not survive. Eclipse, however, could.  
  
The woman took a deep breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart down as she slowly looked up at the giant again, who had sat back down. Probably in a vain attempt to make himself appear less intimidating. She cleared her throat and stepped up to him.  
  
“Are you… content with this?”  
  
He blinked, looking down at her. “Content with what?”  
  
“With this… marriage. Surely you have someone special in your life?”  
  
Oh… Oh, she was referring to the arranged marriage. He leaned back and rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. “No. I don’t have anyone like that. It’s why I agreed to this without complaint.” That and he knew it would have made his mother happy to see he wasn’t carrying a prejudice. Not that he would tell her that.  
  
“Oh…” She looked down at her feet again.  
  
“Do you have someone special?”  
  
“No… No.”  
  
It sounded like she was lying, but he didn't say anything about the matter. “I see.”   
  
Then they fell into an awkward silence. Bloodshed tried to start the conversation a few times, but he was never good with conversation. It didn’t help that Eclipse was also having trouble answering him, being incredibly nervous and what not. This was certainly disastrous. And she was the oldest one! He imagined the younger sisters to be even worse…  
  
The meeting between him and Eclipse only ended up lasting an hour. She eventually said her goodbyes, hurrying away back into the castle.   
  
He only had to wait another ten minutes before the second princess came out. She was wearing a dark magenta dress with a brown coat on, storming through the snow toward him. And God, did she look horribly upset. She didn’t even bow to him even when he had to her.   
  
He frowned at that. What was she being a bitch for? “And you are?”  
  
“Cometstar,” she growled back harshly.   
  
Someone was clearly not happy about meeting him. Well, shit – he didn’t ask for this either. Did she really think he wanted to marry some human woman that he would have to tiptoe around while she would be afraid of him until she died?! Sure, he would do it for the good of both kingdoms, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.  
  
“… You have an issue?” he said flatly, clearly not impressed by her tone.  
  
“None whatsoever. Except for the tiny thing of this arranged marriage deal between your father and mine has completely ruined my life.”  
  
He raised an eyebrow, but remained silent as she continued, glaring murderously at him.  
  
“All I wanted was to be happy and marry my true love!” she hissed out, pointing at him. “But because of your rogue giants messing things up, I’ve had to hold off on a marriage to the man I love because of the horrific possibility of being your wife!”  
  
So that was why she was being this way. She feared that her chances of love were ruin because of this arranged marriage to him. He suddenly found himself incredibly thankful that he had a choice in the matter; otherwise he might have had to have been married to this shrewd.   
  
“Well, you can relax, princess,” he said, glaring back down at the human. “I would rather cut off my dick before I take a fishwife such as yourself.”   
  
Her eyes widened in anger and horror, her face reddening. How… How dare he say such vulgar and horrible things to her! She was a princess! He couldn’t talk to her like that! She was no common maid!  
  
“H-How dare you–”  
  
“Get off your high horse, human,” he muttered darkly. “You really think you’re so desirable that I would have chosen you? I feel sorry for the man you wish to marry. Does he know he’ll have such a vain and petty wife?”  
  
Cometstar’s eyes widened at that, her chest tightening up in anger and in pain. No one had ever said such nasty things to her before. And why would they?! She was the second oldest princess in her kingdom! No one would have spoken to her in such a tone! What gave him the right to talk to her like that?!  
  
Bloodshed watched as tears developed in the corners of the human’s eyes. He just rolled his eyes, leaning back a bit. He wasn't trying to make her cry, but she had pissed him off. He had assumed her to be more witty and spiteful; he never would have guessed she was actually sensitive. Well, she must have been spoiled her whole life and no one ever said a word against her. Still, he didn't like making women cry. 

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Cometstar turned on her heel and ran out of the garden, crying hard as she ran from him. He just blinked, staring after her. Well… That was quick. At least he didn’t have to make conversation with this one.  
  
He huffed and rubbed his eyes. Only three more princesses to go. He wondered if they would all be like Cometstar. Though he didn’t mind the idea of leaving them as quickly as she did, he didn’t want to make them all cry. He would rather just have them be all nervous and frightened than have them cry.  
  
The third princess, Starshine, was shaking like mad when she first approached him. In fact, she stayed a good three feet from him the entire time. It had been incredibly hard for him to hear him and he eventually just gave up on the whole thing with her. She obviously didn't want to be there and she always looked like she was ready to faint. It was stupid of her to think he would hurt her, because he wouldn't. He had tried to offer her a seat on the log beside him, but she quickly declined. After maybe twenty minutes, he told her she could leave, which she gladly did so.  
  
Red Moon, the fourth princess, was afraid of him as well, but... it seemed like she was trying to warm up to him a little _too_ much. It was almost as if she were trying to impress him, which made him feel awkward. She kept complimenting him on everything, something he didn't exactly know how to handle. Little did he know she was only doing it because she figured that if she was docile enough, he wouldn't hurt her if he decided to pick her to be his wife.   
  
He eventually had had enough of her praises and gently dismissed her, the young princess nodding and running off. He let out a relieved huff. Only one more to go. He was glad that not all of King Ultra's children were girls. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to put up with eight princesses. Five seemed like more than enough.   
  
He heard a crunch in the snow again, but he didn't look up this time. He knew it was the last princess. He just mentally sighed to himself, keeping his head down until she got closer. He was already mentally drained from this whole thing. While he could just skim through this last princess with little thought and energy, he didn't want to be rude to her. This poor girl had no say in the matter and it would be cruel to treat her so when her future was on the line. The least he could do was try to 'court' her before he had to make his final decision.  
  
Not that he had any idea of which girl he was going to pick. None of the other princesses seemed that great. The first one, Eclipse, and the one before were... decent. At least compared to the other two he had met. At least with those two, he could handle being married to them without losing his mind... at least he hoped so.  
  
Bloodshed had to resist the urge to groan. Why had he agreed to this? Well, he hadn't really agreed to this... it was part of the plan his father and the human king had come up with to ensure that war didn't break out between their kingdoms. While he couldn't stand his father most of the time, he had to agree with the older giant that this plan was the only option both kingdoms had at the moment. The young prince wasn't oblivious to the state of his future kingdom and its relationship with its fellow human neighbors. Despite their size and strength, giants were not as invincible as they seemed. They could be killed like humans if they were outnumbered, ill-equipped, or caught off-guard. And the giants needed the humans, or rather their trade and goods.  
  
Giants had been nomads, living by the land and nature for a long time. Only recently had their ways advanced past being only hunters and gatherers. In fact, giants had only just started building and establishing towns and cities for their kinds, his father's kingdom being the first to do that just two hundred years ago. Only in recent history had other giant tribes begun such things, such as Megatron to the North and Starscream of the East.  
  
But the humans, who had had towns, cities, and kingdoms for hundreds of years, were more advanced than they were. They could forge metal into weapons, create medicines and elixirs to cure and increase their vitality, harvest and store food, create cloth and build fortresses from rock and mud. Humans had been doing these things long before the giants even started. And to maintain a kingdom of giants, those crafts and trade were needed. Without the humans, his father's kingdom wouldn't last another decade.  
  
"Prince Bloodshed?"  
  
Bloodshed blinked and looked up. The last princess... God, she was much smaller than her sisters. And she still wore her white hood, so he couldn't see her face well. He was surprised that she had spoken first. None of the other princesses had before.   
  
He cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter. "I'm sorry, Princess...?"  
  
"Thornstriker."  
  
He nodded. "Princess Thornstriker. I was just lost in my thoughts."   
  
"I-It's all right," she said timidly, reaching up to take off her hood. "I-I hope I didn't disturb you."  
  
He shook his head, watching her take off her hood. He was surprised to find that she had short hair. All of her other sisters had long hair, especially Starshine… Hers had been incredibly long. In fact, he knew that most human girls had long hair. Rarely had he seen girls with short hair, which he actually preferred.   
  
Then, the girl looked up. At first, Bloodshed was not surprised. He had seen many beautiful women before. His brothel was full of the best looking women around (giants and humans alike, though the latter was only a small portion of the whole group) and if the five princesses were to be compared side by side, many would have found Cometstar to be the most beautiful, probably with Red Moon coming in as second.  
  
But the youngest princess... while her looks were fair, the air around her was... different. Just the way she presented herself made her seem... humble. Even more so than her sisters… Even more than Eclipse, who had not flaunted the status of her bloodline.  
  
He couldn't describe it. It almost felt as if he were with a giantess. But that was silly; this petite female was nothing compared to the strong and forward giantesses he had seen in his youth. But... her stance reminded him a bit of someone... he couldn't remember...  
  
Before he could think about it, he was drawn to the princess curtsying to him. Caught off guard, he didn't realize that he had stood up quickly to bow to her in return. He looked back to her hoping that he didn't scare her with his sudden movement.  
  
To his surprise, she hadn't stepped back out of fear. In fact, she was looking back at him. Right in his eyes. Without fear, without hesitation. She looked right at him, those big bright blue eyes staring right into his fierce red ones. He was almost lost in the look of them, a memory coming back to him. It was almost like... his mother. His beautiful and kind mother. An angel... Dear God, what was this?  
  
"Prince Bloodshed?" the princess said, titling her head.  
  
Her soft and accented voice broke his thoughts again. He looked up again, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry."   
  
"No... No, it's all right. I'm sure you're quite exhausted. You had a long journey here, didn't you?"   
  
"It... wasn't that bad."   
  
She stepped up closer to him, much to his surprise. Wasn't she supposed to be afraid of him? But he remained silent on the matter as she looked over him, studying him as he had studied her.  
  
Thornstriker let out a small breath. Well... He certainly was a giant. And while she was a bit frightened, she didn't let it show. She didn't want to be rude to him, especially considering this marriage deal had been forced onto him too. It wasn't as if he truly wanted a part of it either. And she had been watching him interact with his sisters through the window. While he had gotten a little scary with Cometstar, he hadn't done anything frightening with her other sisters. He didn't seem like a bad person... And besides, not all giants were bad just as not all humans were good. She was certain he was probably a good person.  
  
"Are you cold?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I... I asked if you were cold." After all, he had been sitting out here the entire time. It wasn't particularly freezing today, but snow was still cold. "Perhaps we could... walk around the garden? To warm yourself up? Un-Unless you would rather not..."    
  
Bloodshed found himself surprised yet again. First, she had spoken to him first. Then she had looked him straight in the eyes. Now she was asking him if he was cold and wanted to walk around with her to warm himself up. He swallowed, trying to hold back the blush that wanted to form on his cheeks. Damn it - he was acting like a girl!  
  
"N-No..." he stuttered. Then he cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. "A walk would be... nice." He slowly rose to his feet, worried for a moment that his great height would frighten her. But she just stepped back to get a better look at his face as he looked down at her, waiting for her to lead the way.   
  
She gave a small smile and turned away, moving toward the path toward the rest of the garden, Bloodshed following close behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Feeling his neck getting stiff again, Bombrush stretched his head up in hopes that the kink in it would crack. But in the position he was in, it was hard to do that without knocking over or breaking something.  
  
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do as he sat on the make-shift cushion that was set up for him in the parlor, mostly composed of normal-sized blankets and pillows stitched together. The humans had not yet been able to build a comfortable chair that they could tow from room to room in their human homes for the giants. But still, it was much better than the hard floor, which was all they could do the first time he had come to the human kingdom so long ago.  
  
Giving up on the kink, he reached up to rub it out as he watched his son through the parlor window. While he knew better than to hover over his son during his meetings with the princesses, Bombrush still wanted to observe them. After all, one of these princesses would soon be Bloodshed's wife and his daughter-in-law. And he was a little hesitant about his son being alone with them. Not that the boy would do anything horrible to them, but Bloodshed had never taken a romantic interest in women. Only a sexual interest. The boy was simply apathetic about women as a whole, which came across as him being hostile at times.   
  
"Are you comfortable, Bombrush?"  
  
The giant turned to see the human king standing at the parlor entrance. Without any guards. Not that Ultra Magnus was a weakling who couldn't stand on his own. The king was a great warrior who could take on any giant if the situation arouse. But often in these settings, it was rare for either king to not have a guard or two with them.  
  
"I'm just fine, Ultra."  
  
"I could offer you a place to rest in the main hall." The human approached the other. "It is much warmer and we could provide better seating there."  
  
Smiling, Bombrush held up a hand. "I appreciate the offer, but I find this a better spot to be in."  
  
Stopping next to the other king, Ultra turned to look out the parlor window Bombrush had been camping at. Outside was a wide view of the rear castle garden and he could see the young Giant Prince sitting on a fallen log.  
  
"Watching the courting?"  
  
"As if you weren't?"  
  
Giving out a soft chuckle, the smaller king turned towards the window. "I couldn't get a good view from where I was while discussing urgent matters with my council. But I do know my wife has been watching non-stop from the library."  
  
"She has?"  
  
"It's closer to where your son is situated and you can see more of the area from there."  
  
"Ah... and you know this how?"  
  
"... Well, one still worries about their children playing by themselves in the garden even if they have their nannies with them."  
  
Bombrush gave out a hearty laugh. "I guess us giants aren't that different from your kind after all. The first time Bloodshed went out to hunt on his own, we were so worried about him that I took post at one of our towers just to keep him in my sights for as long as I could. The only reason I didn't stay there until he returned was because my guardsmen had to drag me back to the castle for an important meeting with other giant tribes."  
  
Ultra chuckled, looking outside again. He watched as his youngest child approached the giant, biting his bottom lip. He hoped she wasn’t too terribly frightened. She was a timid girl and she was always nervous about going into uncertain situations. And this one involved a  _giant._  He could only pray that Bloodshed didn’t scare her into tears. His youngest daughter was precious to him, as were all his children, but she… she was the youngest. The most vulnerable and most naïve. She may have been of nubile age, but she wasn’t an adult yet. There was so much she didn’t know or understand yet…  
  
Sometimes he wondered if he was too overprotective of her. He couldn’t help it, though. She was so young… And when Charlotte had given birth to her, the girl hadn’t been breathing. They had thought the girl to be a still-born until she finally started to cry after the doctor pressed on her chest a bit. Since then, he and Charlotte were always incredibly protective of Thornstriker, of their youngest child who almost never was.    
  
He looked away from the window and back to the much larger king. “How have my other daughters fared with your son?”  
  
Bombrush gave a huff, turning away from the scene of Bloodshed bowing to the princess to face the smaller king. “Well… Things didn’t seem to go well with your second and third daughters… He and Eclipse had an hour long conversation while Red Moon seemed do to a lot of talking… Though it seemed to have made my son a bit uncomfortable.”  
  
Ultra nodded. That was a good sign, Eclipse lasting an hour. From the sounds of it, it seemed that Bloodshed didn’t like his other three daughters. If the conversation with Eclipse lasted an hour, then surely Bloodshed would pick her because she would be the best option of a wife. Surely he wanted a wife he could actually talk to…  
  
He rubbed his eyes. He didn’t want to lose Eclipse either. He felt awful when Charlotte had pleaded with Eclipse to have Bloodshed choose her. It wasn’t fair to their oldest! But… But she was an adult. She was mature and wise beyond her years… She would make the best out of this situation. She always made the best out of every situation.  
  
“So from the looks of things, it seems as Eclipse will be your daughter-in-law,” he said, giving a small chuckle. “How does that fare with you?”  
  
Bombrush shrugged. “She’s a very mature lady. Very pleasant and collected.” Then he turned his head and looked out the window, eyebrows arching at the scene before him.  
  
Ultra noticed and blinked. “Is something wrong?”  
  
The giant turned back to the human king before looking back outside again. Then he chuckled, propping his elbow up on his leg and resting his chin on his hand. Not turning to him, he said, “I think your youngest will be winning my son over.”   
  
The human king felt his internal temperature drop. “What?” He immediately rushed over to the neighboring window Bombrush was looking out of. He almost paled when he saw the sight before him, eyes widening in disbelief and horror.  
  
There Thornstriker was, walking alongside the Giant Prince, who kept an incredibly slow pace to match his daughter’s speed. They were talking about… something, Ultra didn’t know what, but he did know that Bloodshed looked to be enjoying himself talking to his youngest. No. No, this wasn’t the plan. Bloodshed was supposed to favor Eclipse out of all of them!  
  
Bombrush glanced at the human king, raising an eyebrow at how pale he looked. “Ultra?”  
  
But the human king did not look at him. He was too focused on the sight before him. And he knew Charlotte was watching the same thing. Oh God, what could she be thinking now?  
  
Excusing himself, ignoring the giant as he asked him what was wrong, he quickly made his way over to the library. But just as he was about to open the doors to enter, his wife threw them open, face pale and eyes wide with horror.   
  
“Charlotte–”  
  
“ _What is she doing?!_ ” she hissed out. “Doesn’t that child understand what she’s doing?!”  
  
“Charlotte, please–”  
  
“I have to stop her,” the queen said, pushing past her husband. “I have to stop him! I have to–”  
  
Ultra’s eyes widened. No, she couldn’t go out there! They couldn’t intervene and possibly anger Bloodshed or Bombrush! He grabbed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. She cried out, struggling against him as he held her to him. She struggled violently to break free, clawing at his arms and trying to hit him. But he crushed her against his chest, keeping her arms trapped at her sides.  
  
“Unhand me!” she snarled, trying to break free. “Ultra, unhand me this instant!”  
  
“Charlotte, I can’t let you do this–”  
  
“He will choose her!” the queen cried, tears developing in the corners of her eyes. “He will choose her and take our baby away from us! He will rip her away from a better future, her very own innocence! He will…! He will do it…! He will take my baby away from me…! Why does God always try to take her from me?!”   
  
He moved one of his hands to the back of her head and held her tightly, running his fingers through her hair. This was killing her. The Giant Prince was becoming smitten with Thornstriker, their baby who might have never been. He couldn’t pick her though – anyone but her! She was too young! Surely he wouldn’t choose her!  
  
He shut his eyes tightly as he tried to calm his wife. God would solve this. God wouldn’t let Bloodshed take Thornstriker away from them… He wouldn’t.

* * *

Thornstriker shook her head to get the snow out of her hair as she walked beside Bloodshed. They simply chatted about books and such. They apparently liked a lot of the same authors and genres of books, so they chatted for a while on that. Bloodshed was very well educated in the literary arts, it seemed. And to think he was also a warrior… It was a bit funny to think about.  
  
They went back and forth for a little bit on their lives, asking about their childhoods and whatnot. It was a very pleasant conversation, if she were being honest. She couldn’t understand why her sisters had been so afraid. Bloodshed wasn’t that frightening at all! At least once she started talking to him. Though wary because he was a giant, he wasn’t all that bad.   
  
And when they did fall into silence, it didn’t feel awkward or anything. At least it didn’t feel that way to her. She had no idea what the prince thought of it.  
  
Truth be told, Bloodshed was enjoying her company as much as she was enjoying his. She was an incredibly intelligent young girl. Not to mention she knew how to carry on a conversation about something of actual interest. And when they fell into silence from time to time, he just sort of… admired her.  
  
She didn’t act afraid of him. She treated him like a normal person. She even laughed and smiled around him! He was utterly drawn to her… She reminded him so much of his mother. He may have not remembered much of her, as he was only five when she passed, but he did know that he loved her, that beautiful, selfless, and kind woman. Was Thornstriker like her? Was she an angel too?  
  
Thornstriker stopped walking once they reached a tree a little taller than Bloodshed. The prince stopped and looked down at her. “Is something wrong, Princess?”  
  
“No,” she said, moving over to the tree. She rested a hand against it. “It’s just… I like this tree.”  
  
He raised an eyebrow.  
  
She blushed and laughed softly, knowing she probably sounded silly. “I mean… This tree gives a great view of the whole garden. I’m sure you can see it all with your height.”  
  
He nodded as he turned to look. Well, he could see almost the entire garden. Some of the taller hedging blocked a bit from his site, but it wasn't that bad. And he had to hand it to the human gardeners – it sure was a nicely kept ground. When he looked back at the princess, he was surprised to find her climbing up the tree.  
  
“Are you sure you should be doing that?”  
  
“It’s all right,” she reassured him, giving him a small smile before continuing her climb. “I’ve climbed up here many times before. Though, my maid Soundwave scolds me for doing so… It’s not very ladylike, is it?”  
  
Bloodshed shrugged. One of his good friends, a giantess by the name of Nebula, was a powerful warrior and acted basically like a man would. A complete contrast with her outer appearance. Still, women acting “unladylike” never bothered him so long as they weren’t doing anything completely gross and whatnot; he wouldn't accept it from men either. Climbing up a tree was hardly something that bothered him.  
  
She finally reached a thick branch at the top of the tree that put her at eye level with the giant. She carefully squatted down a bit before taking a seat on the thick branch, looking out into the garden. She could see the small lake area where she and her siblings would go swimming in during the summer. It was too cold for that now obviously, but it brought back some pleasant memories.   
  
She glanced over at the other. He was an only child… When his mother was still alive, had he ever hoped for siblings? Perhaps he would have gotten them too had that medicine man not denied what his mother needed most. She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the hands in her lap, feeling guilty. If it had not been for one of her people, he would have siblings. And his mother. And he wouldn't have to be forced into this arranged marriage deal because the peace between her kingdom and his would not be in such a bad state.  
  
She sighed, looking at him again. "Prince Bloodshed..."  
  
He looked at her.  
  
"Are you... happy being an only child?"  
  
He blinked, brows furrowing. Where had that come from? "What do you mean?"  
  
"I... I have seven siblings," she said softly, looking down at her hands again. "And I love each and every one of them. They are like my best friends. I'm never lonely because of them." She bit her bottom lip and turned back to him. "Are... Are you ever lonely? If... If your mother would have been given the medicine, you might have had siblings... Are you saddened that you don't...?"  
  
Ah... This was where she was getting at. He huffed and looked away from her, looking out at the garden. He never really thought about having siblings before. He didn't mind being an only child, though at times, yes - things were lonesome. But he had his two most trusted friends now and he had grown used to being alone. It didn't bother him now.  
  
Still, when Pixela was alive, he had asked for a sibling once. She only laughed and kissed his forehead, promising him "Someday." Of course, "Someday" was never meant to happen as she had fallen ill and died because of that bastard human.   
  
"When I was a child, I had wished for them," he admitted, turning back to face her. "But I am used to being on my own. Nowadays, I prefer it."  
  
"O-Oh..." Now she felt even worse than before. It was her kind's fault that Bloodshed had been alone during his childhood. Because they had robbed him of his mother. She was shocked that he wasn't more resentful toward her kind. They had done such a terrible thing to him and his father...  
  
Seeing her look disheartened and guilty shocked the other. He hadn't come across a human aside from the human king and queen that felt horrible for what happened to his mother. He knew there were others (or so Bombrush had told him), but Thornstriker was the only other one to openly express her remorse to him. But she had no reason to feel guilty. She had done nothing wrong.  
  
He turned his entire body towards her, making sure she was looking right at him. Her eyes widened at the sight of his face being so close to hers, but did nothing as he spoke first.  
  
"While I... appreciate your condolences, you have nothing to be sorry for," he said softly. "You did not cause my mother's death. That had only been one human... I'm certain that if you had been the one distributing the medicine, you would have given it to us giants in a heartbeat. You're very kind, princess. It's easy to tell."   
  
Thornstriker couldn't help but to blush. While she was used to being complimented on being kind (many of the common people referred to her as “the benevolent princess"), they didn't compliment her in the way Bloodshed just had. The way he said it... It just seemed to carry much more meaning behind it.   
  
"U-Um, well, th-thank you," she said, flustered.

He nodded in reply. 

She bit her lip as she tried to make the red on her cheeks go away. The youngest princess tended to get embarrassed easily and she didn't want the prince of the giants to see her when she was more likely to make mistakes and such. But as she tried to compose herself, her movement caused her shawl to fall off and float to the ground.  
  
They both looked down at it for a few moments before Bloodshed huffed. He bent down and picked it up, brushing off some of the snow. He handed it back to her, causing her to the blush even more.  
  
"Th-Thank you," she said as she took if from him. She blinked through when she noticed how his hands were shivering. Right, he had been out here in the cold much longer than she had. As she put the shawl around her again, she looked back up at him. "Would you like to head inside? It's much warmer in the main hall than here."  
  
Now that she mentioned it, he was a little cold. And the wind was picking up a bit, making him - and probably her - even colder. A change of location would certainly be nice. "Sounds good."  
  
She gave a small smile, slowly moving back over to climb back down the tree. Bloodshed wasn't sure if he should offer to help her down, his arms starting to come up to offer when her foot slipped from the tree's knot. Her little arms were unable to hold her weight with the shock of losing ground, causing her to begin freefalling from the tree to the cold, hard ground.  
  
In the second she was defying gravity, her body froze as her mind quickly realized she was heading to hard ground. She had fallen off of trees before as a child, but never from this height. Soundwave would always worry about her being so high up, preferring to take her down herself. But now... Thornstriker was only torn between holding her eyes wide in shock and horror or to close them tightly to possibly lessen the impact and the pain.  
  
None of her premonition pain and darkness came as giant hands quickly caught her in a bride's hold.  
  
In shock again from being caught, her hands unconsciously grabbed at the front of Bloodshed's dark red coat as he held her close to his chest, only letting out a loud grunt as his motion moving forward to catch her caused him to fall to his knees. His weight hitting the ground caused the tree to shake, causing a huge amount of snow to fall on top of the duo.  
  
When they were both finally aware of themselves, Thornstriker found herself face to face with Bloodshed, whose head was covered in snow for his hood had fallen back while catching her. He found himself dumbfounded with a human woman snuggled into his arms and his head feeling bitterly cold. But before anyone could speak, a batch of snow on his head slid down to fall right between his coat, ice cold sliding down his back.  
  
Bloodshed's face twisted into one of shock as he felt the cold on his spine. The only conscious thought he could keep at that moment was to resist the urge to curl his fingers, knowing that his grip could harm the poor human princess.  
  
Thornstriker found herself entranced by the face the giant was making. It was so sudden and so different from the stoic face the prince had kept for most of their talk that she suddenly chuckled. At the sight of him staring at her in shock and embarrassment, she couldn't help but to laugh. This soon ended because as the prince's head shot back in embarrassment, the rest of the snow on his head fell down onto her face.  
  
She shrieked as a large pile of snow hit her. She flailed a bit as she pushed off the snow and tried to wipe it from her, shivering from how cold it was. Then she heard Bloodshed give a soft, deep laugh, which stunned her for a few good seconds. She had never heard him laugh before. Or seen him smile. Sure enough, when she looked up, she saw him peering down at her with a small smile on his face as he laughed.  
  
She blushed as she sat up in his hands, shaking the rest of the snow off of her. He gently set her down to the ground, standing up as well to brush off the snow that got on him. She cleared her throat and said, "Thank you. F-For saving me, just now."  
  
He nodded, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. He hadn't even thought about it. He just reached out and caught her, not wanting her to get hurt. And she had been so... petite, small. He didn't think he had ever held such a tiny person before. It was as if he were holding a thin, small toddler. He was glad he hadn't curled his fingers - he might have broken her arm.   
  
"Are you all right now?" he asked.  
  
"Wha-Oh! Oh, y-yes I'm fine, thank you."  
  
"Good… And try not to climb up anymore trees."  
  
She only blushed, looking down at her feet as she walked back to the castle with him. She had had enough embarrassment for one day.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been four days since Bloodshed had come to meet the princesses. When he and Bombrush departed, he had said he just needed a little bit of time to think things over. Once he had made his decision, he would send a messenger over with the news. So Ultra Magnus and Charlotte waited anxiously every day to hear back from the Giant Prince, growing more and more fearful with each passing day.   
  
The princesses fared worse. Except for Thornstriker, who was more concerned about Bloodshed. He had been such a gentleman to her. She didn't understand why her sisters were so frightened of him. He wasn't a bad person! Every time her mother or her sisters approached her about her calm behavior with the giant on that day, she didn't understand why they were so worried. Starshine had commented that it was because she didn't seem to worry about Bloodshed choosing her.  
  
It was true, though. She didn't worry. There was no way Bloodshed would choose her. She wasn't wife material. She wasn't the prettiest or the smartest out of her sisters. Not to mention she was such a child compared to all of them. For God's sake, she climbed up a tree in front of him. He didn't want a childish woman as his wife. He wanted someone mature, beautiful - someone like Eclipse or Starshine. He didn't want a child, but a woman. And she was not a woman.  
  
But Charlotte saw it differently. It didn't matter if Thornstriker was not "a woman." She was still of nubile age. She could still be married and bear Bloodshed an heir, the duty of a wife. God, she had been married off to Ultra when she had only been fifteen! And besides, Thornstriker didn't see how Bloodshed had been looking at her. That look of admiration, of fascination, of want. She had talked to him far longer than Eclipse had. Bloodshed had obviously been pleased by Thornstriker, far more than Eclipse...   
  
Charlotte was growing more and more distressed as she continued to wait for Bloodshed's answer. She was sick of this anxiety! She just wanted to know! Which daughter had lost their future? Which daughter had to become that giant's wife? Which daughter had to give up her purity to a being like that?!  
  
"Charlotte."  
  
The queen perked up when she felt hands rest on her shoulders. She looked up at her husband, who simply gave her a soft look before he reached over and took her brush out of her hand, placing it back down on the counter. "You've been brushing your hair for almost twenty minutes. You're going to pull your hair out."  
  
The woman huffed, turning away to look at her vanity mirror. "I can't do this anymore," she whimpered out, burying her face into her hands. "I may not want any of my daughters to marry that prince, but... but I can't keep waiting for an answer. Does that giant not understand how much this pains us?! Pains me?! Why is he taking so long to make a choice?!"  
  
"Dear, please," he said, rubbing her shoulders. He didn't want her this hysterical before she went to bed. It was already so late... She needed to rest, not stress herself. "This is hard for the boy too... He won't be able to experience a future with a woman he loves."  
  
" _But at least he had a choice in a bride!_ " she shouted, slamming her hands down on the counter as she stood up, pulling out of his grip. "Whichever daughter he chooses will not have any choice! She will be forced to remain by his side until the day she dies!"  
  
"Charlotte, please-"  
  
"Why us...?!" she sobbed, tears pouring down her face. "Why them...?! Why did this have to happen to our family, Ultra?! This just...! isn't right...! Or fair...! Or...! Or...!" But she was too choked up to get out another word, sobbing hard at the thought of losing a daughter to a giant.  
  
Ultra immediately rushed over to his wife and pulled her into an embrace. He hated seeing her like this. Upset and hurt and weeping... No one wanted this. Not him, not her, not his daughters - no one wanted this. But that damned medicine man had caused all of this. That bastard had forced this upon them all, human and giant alike.   
  
There was a knock on the door. "Enter," he said, though he didn't leave his wife's side.  
  
A servant opened the door, carrying in… a rather large envelope. Both Ultra and Charlotte froze at the sight of it, neither moving at it was brought to them. The king looked at the front of the letter, seeing the Giant King's seal on the paper. He slowly looked up at his servant. "This is..."  
  
"Prince Bloodshed's response. It was just delivered by the giant's messenger."  
  
Their eyes widened, but Ultra swallowed, trying to keep his composure. "Thank you. You're dismissed."  
  
The servant nodded, leaving the envelope on the table inside the king's chamber. Then he bowed and said good night, walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.   
  
Charlotte immediately pushed away from her husband, rushing over to the letter. She quickly opened it and pulled out the letter, pressing it flat on the desk. Ultra came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders, reading it silently to himself as his wife did the same.   
  
 _To Ultra Magnus and Charlotte,  
  
After much thought and consideration, my son, Bloodshed, has finally made a choice in regards to which of your daughters he wishes to marry. He apologizes for making you wait so long for his decision, but he wanted to be sure that this decision was the right decision. He hopes that he did not keep you waiting in too much anxiety.  
  
As for the arrangements. I believe that it is best that Bloodshed and his chosen bride live together for half a year before they marry. To give them a little time to get to know each other better, as well as allow both our kingdoms to prepare for the actual wedding.   
  
There is a palace within my kingdom that is built for both giants and humans to live in. Bloodshed and your daughter shall live there until the decided wedding day before they move into my castle. Also, because there are both human and giant servants working there, your daughter need only bring one maid with her.   
  
A human servant will arrive at your castle in three days to escort your daughter and her maid, if she chooses to bring one, to the palace. The three days should give her enough to prepare herself and pack whatever she and you feel she needs to bring with her to the palace. Please, don’t be strangers simply because she is getting married. You are more than welcomed to visit her and write her whenever you wish.   
  
Bloodshed would like me to tell you that he promises that he will take good care of your daughter. He vows to protect and care for her as her husband and will remain utterly loyal to her. He is quite fond of her and it gives me great pleasure to tell you that he will do his utmost best to make sure she is cared for and happy.   
  
The servants will arrive to pick up Princess Thornstriker sometime in the later morning of the third day. Please have her ready by then.  
  
With most sincere gratitude,  
Bombrush R. _  
  
Charlotte paled as she read the letter. Dear God… Bloodshed had actually chosen Thornstriker. He had chosen their youngest child, their precious baby girl that almost never was, their barely seventeen-year-old daughter, to be his wife. No. No, she had to have misread it. She had to have misread it! He was supposed to have chosen Eclipse to marry!  
  
She started hyperventilating, turning away from the letter and pulling out of her husband’s grip. Ultra was too wrapped up in his own shock to try and stabilize the woman, feeling his body wither away into that of an old man’s. Bloodshed… had chosen Thornstriker? His youngest child? He… had chosen her?!  
  
He swallowed, but the lump in his throat was too great. He could only reread the letter, seeing her name on the paper over and over again. Her fate had been sealed. She was going to be married to a giant. She would be taken away from them and be made to remain by the Giant Prince’s side as his wife until the day she died.  
  
“This isn’t happening…!”  
  
Ultra was torn from his thoughts, looking over at his wife. She was now hunched over, hugging her tightly as she trembled, tears pouring down her face. Oh God, she was having a mental breakdown. This was too much for the poor queen to handle.  
  
“Charlotte, my love, please–”  
  
“That letter must have been a fake…! That couldn’t be his answer…! That can’t be his answer!”  
  
He rushed over to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he pulled her into his chest. “Charlotte, calm down. Everything’s going to be all right. He promised he wouldn’t hurt her.”  
  
But it was as if the queen couldn’t hear him. All she could focus on was Thornstriker, so young and so kind, having her innocence raped from her by that giant. She was just a little human girl, naïve and young – she was vulnerable to everything in that damned giant kingdom!   
  
There was also no telling that Bloodshed wouldn’t just break his promises to them. Promises were always broken! Promises meant nothing! They were just words… Just stupid lies to appease people and trick them into thinking everything would be okay when everything was hell.   
  
And right now, this was hell.   
  
Charlotte finally broke. With tears running down her cheeks, almost like a waterfall, she wailed violently, shaking and screaming like a madwoman. Ultra just held her to him, stroking over her hair as he unsuccessfully tried to calm her down. But she just screamed, her cry sounded demonic and unearthly – just a thunderous chorus of agony and dread.   
  
All the children woke from their sleep, sitting up in their beds in their rooms at the sounds of their mother’s cry. Why was she screaming like that? What on Earth had caused her to make such a sound?! They all quickly threw on their robes before rushing out of their rooms toward their parent’s bedchambers.  
  
Thornstriker was the last to reach the room, as her room was the farthest away. When she reached the door, only Airstream and Eclipse had rushed inside to find out what was wrong. The rest of her siblings had stayed outside.   
  
She looked to Smokebomb, seeing how upset he was over his mother’s screaming wails. She immediately rushed over to him, seeing him on the verge of tears, the poor sensitive boy. When he saw her, he immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her. He whimpered something out, but she just shushed him, looking inside to see what was going on.  
  
Their mother was on the bed, her face buried into the sheets as she gripped them tightly. Eclipse was at her side, trying to calm her mother down, while Airstream was trying to get their father to speak, but his eyes were hollow. He looked like he had aged from fifty to a hundred in that very second!  
  
Then she turned her read to the table, eyes widening when she saw the large letter on the table. From the size and the seal, she knew that it was from King Bombrush. It must have contained Bloodshed’s decision…  
  
Curiosity got the better of her as she slowly patted Smokebomb’s head, stepping away from him. She pushed into the room, almost unnoticed and moved over to the table, leaning over to read the letter.  
  
Charlotte turned her head as she continued to sob, her chest tight with pain. But as she turned her head, she froze when she saw her youngest read the letter from the Giant King. No… No, she didn’t want her to know!  
  
“ _Get away from that!_ ” she screamed, pushing herself to her feet. Thornstriker gasped and turned around as her mother stormed over to her, grabbing a tight and rough hold of her arm as she yanked her back. “Don’t look at that! Don’t you dare look at that!”  
  
Everyone stared at the woman with horrified eyes while Ultra snapped out of his catatonic state. Thornstriker’s eyes widened in fear at the fierce look in her mother’s face. She looked absolutely frightened, eyes wild with fear and desperation, face tight with pain. Her grip was painful and she only squeezed hard, making Thornstriker cry out in pain. “M-Mother, y-you’re hurting me–”  
  
“Don’t you look at that!” she hissed, tears falling down her . “Don’t you ever look at that! Do you understand?! DON’T LOOK AT IT!”  
  
“Charlotte, that is enough!”  
  
The queen turned, gasping as Ultra came up to her, roughly seizing her by the arms. When he yanked her to him, she released Thornstriker’s arm, the girl falling back against the bed. Ultra shook his wife hard once, Charlotte stiffening in fear.   
  
“You need to settle down!” he shouted, shaking her again. “I understand your pain, but think of her!” He pointed to their youngest, who just remained confused about what was going on. “She’s the one who has to suffer the most out of this! She’s the one who’s being taken away!”  
  
The room fell into silence as the children just stared at the king. What was he talking about her? Thornstriker being taken away… Then they slowly turned to the letter, seeing Bombrush’s signature at the bottom. The letter that contained Bloodshed’s decision… No… No, it couldn’t be…  
  
Airstream ran to the letter first, reading over it as fast as he could. And his heart dropped when he saw Thornstriker’s name at the bottom of the letter, reading how they would come for her in three days time. He thought he had misread, causing him to read it again. And again. And he continued to reread it, thinking he had been wrong before, but each and every time he saw Thornstriker’s name on that damned paper that sealed her fate.  
  
“This… This is a lie…” he said, his voice quivering. “This is nothing but a damn filthy lie…!”  
  
Ultra, who had eventually pulled Charlotte into his chest when she started to cry softly again, looked at the oldest prince and huffed. As he ran his fingers through the queen’s hair, he said softly and gravely, “You know it’s not a lie, my son. Prince Bloodshed…”  
  
He stopped, feeling the lump in his throat again. He slowly looked at his youngest child, who just looked completely lost and frightened about the entire situation. She was so innocent, so young… Why? Why had Bloodshed chosen her?  
  
He swallowed and muttered out in a weak and almost broken voice, “Prince Bloodshed has chosen Thornstriker to be his wife.”  
  
A heavy silence filled the room as the children all looked to Thornstriker. But she just stared at her father with shocked wide eyes, mouth slightly agape as she tried to comprehend what he had just said.   
  
Bloodshed… The Prince of the Giants… had chosen her? To be his bride? She… would have to marry Bloodshed? No… No, that couldn’t be right. Bloodshed… wanted a mature woman. She was just some silly girl… Bloodshed couldn’t have wanted her as a bride…  
  
Slowly, she rose to her feet, turning away her father and moving over to the letter. Airstream looked at her as she stood beside him, the older brother biting his bottom lip at the hollow look in her eyes.  
  
“Thornstriker?” he said gently.  
  
She didn’t even look at him, simply reading over the letter as if to confirm herself. And sure enough, there her name was at the bottom of the letter. She had been chosen by Bloodshed and she would live with him for half a year in some unknown palace on some unknown land before marrying him.   
  
"Thornstriker-"  
  
"Excuse me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She kept her head down and slowly walked out of the room. Smokebomb tried to reach out to her, but Acid Rain stopped him, shaking his head at him. He knew his younger brother just wanted to make sure she was all right, but it was easy to tell she didn't want to be bothered.  
  
Thornstriker only walked slowly back to her bedroom, still in this state of disbelief. Even a little bit of denial. There was just no way Bloodshed could have chosen her out of all of her sisters. Cometstar and Red Moon were far more beautiful. And Starshine had a better sense of humor... And Eclipse was so much more mature... How could he have chosen her? She was just... Thornstriker.    
  
She opened the door to her room and closed it behind her, sliding down the door. Three days. His servants would be here to pick her up in three days. And she could only take one maid with her...  
  
She didn't even realize that tears were starting to run down her cheeks. It had hit her. It had finally hit her. She, Thornstriker, was going to be married to Bloodshed, the Prince of the Giants. She then started to trembled and buried her face into her hands, crying softly into them. She was going to marry Bloodshed. She was going to live with him until the day she died.   
  
She didn't want to get married. She didn't want to be taken from her family! It wasn't because he was a giant... She wasn't even thinking about that at all! It was selfish of her, but she had wanted to be a child just a little longer... Just a bit longer and wait until she found someone she wanted to marry out of love.   
  
But that wasn't meant to be.  
  
She, the youngest of her siblings, would be the first to grow up.


	6. Chapter 6

“Princess, you must eat something.”  
  
Thornstriker didn’t even look back at her maid. She just sat on the chair with a book in her lap, looking outside the window as the snow fell.   
  
It was the day before she was supposed to leave to live with Prince Bloodshed in his kingdom. A part of her was in a state of denial about the fact that he had chosen her to be his wife, but the rest of her accepted the truth. She would… be married to a giant. While she knew Bloodshed was kind during the meeting… They didn’t really know each other. What if they spent more time together and Bloodshed grew to dislike her? What if he found a giantess to love, but couldn’t marry because of a marriage to a human like her?  
  
She didn’t want to be a part of that misery. But it wasn’t about what she wanted. She had a duty to her kingdom and her king, her father, and with this marriage, she would fulfill that duty. She was doing this for peace. Knowing that made it a bit easier to accept this.  
  
Still, she didn’t want to be married to someone she didn’t love. She had always thought of marrying someone who loved her and who she loved back. But now… That just wasn’t meant to be.   
  
She hadn’t talked to many people since the news. She mainly locked herself away in her room, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. It may have been selfish, but she didn’t want anyone to see her upset. Especially not her mother or Airstream. They were the most protective of her and they babied her nonstop.   
  
She… was going to be another’s wife soon. She couldn’t behave like a child. She couldn’t…  
  
A tray with breakfast was placed down on the small table next to her chair. She blinked and looked up, seeing her personal maid, Soundwave, of eight years stand before her. She gave her a concerned look, but it was obviously she was a little angry.  
  
“You need to eat, Princess.”  
  
Thornstriker looked down at the hands in her lap. She knew she was making things hard for Soundwave. She wasn’t trying to starve herself. She just hadn’t been very hungry the past two days… But she couldn’t be immature about this. Yes, she was getting married to someone she didn’t love. She knew that sort of thing was more common than not. She couldn’t be spoiled. She had to be mature about this…   
  
“I know. I’m sorry.” She set her book off to the side and turned to the food beside her, picking up her fork and slowly beginning to eat.  
  
The maid gave a small breath. “The Queen wishes to see you. May I let her in?”  
  
Thornstriker paused, looking up at her before looking at the door. She had been hoping to avoid such a conversation, but she knew her mother would eventually get her way. She was the queen, after all. But she didn’t want to face her just yet. At least not while she was eating.  
  
“Please have her wait until I finish breakfast.”  
  
Soundwave nodded.   
  
But just as she turned to leave, Thornstriker said, “Soundwave?”  
  
The maid turned to her. “Yes, Princess Thornstriker?”  
  
“I… King Bombrush said I could bring one maid with me,” she said softly. She had been meaning to ask her maid of this for a while now, but never had the chance. But she was leaving tomorrow, so she knew she had to ask now. “And… I was hoping… Would… Would you be willing to come with me? T-To live in the castle with Bloodshed? Would… Would you come?”  
  
Soundwave just stared at her for the longest time. She was asking her to come with her? She couldn’t help but to give a small smile. Despite Thornstriker being above her in social status and despite that both knew that Soundwave would do whatever the girl wanted, Thornstriker was always considerate of her. She always asked if she would do something. She never truly ordered.  
  
“I-I know you have sons of your own,” she blurted out, remembering Soundwave’s four children. God, her request toward Soundwave was so selfish, especially since the woman had a family. “S-So if you don’t think you can go, I will find someone-”  
  
“Princess,” she said, calming her down. She walked over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. Yes, she had a family and yes, she didn’t want to be apart from them. Still, she had a duty to serve the princess. And she cared for the girl. She would do as asked. “I will go with you. I want to make sure you are properly taken care of. No other maid knows you better than I do. I have been your maid for eight years… I don’t intend to stop unless you wish to find another.”  
  
Thornstriker blushed but gave a small smile, which made Soundwave smile in return. It had been a bit too long since the girl had last smiled. Soundwave, like everyone else, enjoyed seeing Thornstriker happy.   
  
“Th-Thank you, Soundwave.”  
  
“Of course.” She stepped back and took her hands from the girl, standing up straight again. “I shall let the Queen know that I will be coming with you to the castle and that she may see you after you have finished your breakfast.”   
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Soundwave nodded once, turning away and walking out of the room, leaving Thornstriker to eat her breakfast as she looked out the window again.  
  
Tomorrow. She would be leaving tomorrow. While she felt a little better now that she knew Soundwave would be with her, she still had her worries. Would her family be allowed to visit her? Would she ever be allowed to return to her home for a short visit? Surely it was allowed… Right?  
  
Bloodshed had been kind to her. He would not hurt her. In the letter, Bombrush had written that Bloodshed had promised to take care of her… He wanted her to be happy. And that was one way she would be happy.   
  
Things would be all right. She and Bloodshed had gotten along quite well on that first day. Even if they weren’t in love, they could be good friends during their years of marriage. Yes. That would be exactly it. They would be good friends…  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
“Come in,” she said, turning to face the woman entering. She gave a small smile when she saw it was her mother, standing up when the queen closed to the door behind her. “Mother…”  
  
Charlotte looked up at her youngest. She hadn’t seen her in two days and she had grown worried. She was surprised to see that she was smiling and her eyes weren’t swollen though. She had thought the child was in complete misery like she and the others were. Perhaps she was just trying to make this into something positive.  
  
She laughed inwardly. Leave it to Thornstriker to do something like that, trying to always be positive, no matter the circumstances… She would miss that. She hoped that trait would stay with her daughter until she died. She needed to be positive… She needed to be…  
  
“Mother?”  
  
Charlotte blinked, looking to see Thornstriker giving her a concerned expression. She finally noticed that tears were in the corners of her eyes. Damn it… She didn’t want to cry in front of the other anymore. She had cried too much and she wasn’t even the one going through this marriage.  
  
“Thornstriker, my child,” she said softly, walking toward the girl. “I… I… I wanted to know how you were. You haven’t left your room for anything. We’ve been worried.”  
  
“I’m sorry, Mother,” she murmured softly. “I just… I needed time to think things over.”  
  
She nodded, stepping up toward her as she looked over her. She was so young… A child. Her baby. She may have been able to perform the duty of the wife, but that didn’t make her ready for it. Thornstriker was too innocent. She didn’t know anything other than the knowledge of a child. Perhaps that was her fault for not mentally preparing her better. She shouldn’t have been so over protective… Now she was sending her daughter into the adult world without teaching her a thing.  
  
Charlotte wrapped her arms tightly around her, burying her face into her shoulder. Thornstriker blinked, confused for a few moments. But the warmth of her mother was a good feeling, so she hugged back.   
  
“I wish I could do something to stop this,” Charlotte whispered, holding her child closer to her.  
  
“It’s all right, Mother,” she said softly. “It’s not your fault… Don’t ever think it’s your fault.”  
  
“This shouldn’t have to happen… If only that man had given the king the medicine…!” She felt herself breaking down again, holding her child tighter than before.   
  
“It’s all right, Mother…” Thornstriker held the taller woman to her, rubbing her back. She didn’t know if reassuring her that everything was all right was a lie or not, but she had to calm the woman down.   
  
She had to reassure her that she would be fine, that she could handle this, even if it was a lie.


	7. Chapter 7

Soundwave helped carry Thornstriker's bags out to the gate. She still could not believe that Thornstriker had been chosen to be Prince Bloodshed's wife. She knew it had happened, but now that they were leaving today… It finally hit her as being true. Still, she just couldn't imagine it. To think that sweet and innocent girl she had taken care of... was going to become a giant's wife.  
  
Soundwave sighed. She didn't hate giants. She saw nothing wrong with them. In fact, a long time ago, she thought them to be better than humans in a way.  
  
She had been married off at an even younger age than Thornstriker. When she was fourteen, her parents married her off to Razorcut, the son of a well-off merchant that her father worked for. She knew that Razorcut had expressed interest in her, which was why the marriage had happened. She and her family were able to live a little better than before with Razorcut and his father's trade helping them out.  
  
But when the giant attacks escalated soon after she was married, her father-in-law's business fell through. Razorcut's father was killed in an ambush and everything collapsed after that. Her husband couldn't run the business and they fell in poverty. Her parents died soon after by disease and her husband... he had been okay at first when things had been great, but when they hit rock bottom...  
  
Soundwave hesitated for a bit before she lifted up the next bag she needed to carry out. Razorcut was as cruel as his name sounded. For nearly six years, he had made her life a living hell with how he treated her and their children. He beat them, wasted what little money she made working at the castle on alcohol, and was sometimes forceful during their times of copulating.  
  
Her saving grace had been a giant that had attacked their home one cold winter's day nearly eight years ago. They had just had a brutal snow storm when the giant caved in half of their little hut suddenly one early morning. In fear and terror, the family had huddled against the only corner still standing as the giant stood over them.  
  
To everyone else, the story went that the giant killed her husband and the family fled while the giant was distracted. But to her and her children, that wasn't the whole story.  
  
Just as the giant told them not to move, Razorcut grabbed the child closest to him, Laserbeak, and held him out to the giant, begging the bigger male to spare the rest of them in return for their youngest.  
  
Soundwave, only twenty-four at the time and still living in the fear of her husband's shadow and fists, could only stare in horror as Razorcut attempted to sacrifice their own flesh and blood for his life. But someone up there had been watching, had heard her inner cries to spare her child, and finally did something after so long of ignoring her prayers.  
  
The giant took the child offered to him and literally backhanded her husband through the rubble into the muddy field outside their house. After the shock of seeing the male disappear like that, she was even more surprised when Laserbeak was returned to her unharmed.  
  
She couldn't remember if the giant had said anything. But he had left as quickly as he had come, taking one bag of wheat and what cloth was salvageable from the wrecked home. Strangely enough, he had left behind the other bag of wheat even though he could have carried that off as well.  
  
When all was said and done, she had left to check on her husband to bury him only to find him still alive, but badly hurt and bleeding out. He pleaded with her to save her. He ordered her to go get help. He threatened her with punishment if she didn't find help. But with Razorcut unable to do anything to her, Soundwave did nothing. She simply stood there and watched as he screamed at her, holding her children close to her sides. He begged and pleaded and demanded and threatened her. And she just stood there, watching with her children.  
  
Then, as he began to curse her, she picked up the bag the giant had left behind and walked away, her children following suit.   
  
Razorcut's abuse had numbed her. She was reluctant to trust others, men especially. She came across as cold and emotionless to many of those around her, not making very many friends when she worked in the castle as a maid. But she didn't mind it, actually preferring to be alone than having to socialize with others. And for a little while, that had been her routine. Go to work, only work and never speak to anyone, before returning home late in the evening.   
  
Eventually though, the queen had noticed something was amiss with the other and had asked her what was wrong. She had only told the queen that since her husband had died, it had been very hard supporting herself and her four boys, who were only between the ages of ten and five and still going to school, alone and without much help from anyone else. When the queen suggested finding a new husband, she simply said that she didn't want one for a long time. She didn't want to ever be married again after her abusive marriage to Razorcut.  
  
Then the queen shocked her. She offered her a promotion as being Thornstriker's personal maid and nanny. The pay was much better and, because of her financial burden, the queen offered them a small cottage that was on the grounds. No one was using it anyway and it seemed like a waste to simply tear it down. Admittedly, Soundwave had been suspicious at first. No one had offered to help her out of the kindness of their heart in a long time. And to think her own queen just had...  
  
But she accepted the offer when she thought about her children. She wanted to give them the best life possible and surely this was it. And now, eight years later, they were still living in that cottage. Laserbeak had become a squire while Ravage was training to become a knight. Frenzy and Rumble wanted to be knights, but Soundwave knew better than to have them on the battlefield, pushing them toward servant-hood. Of course, the little devils did more joking than serving sometimes, much to her embarrassment.   
  
And she, after so many years, had opened up a little bit more to others. She still had trouble trusting men and she had a feeling she would until she died. She just didn't want to risk it again. She didn't want another marriage like the one she had had with Razorcut. That had been nothing but abuse and violence. She wouldn't go through with it a second time.   
  
Just as she carried the second bag out, she looked over to see Thornstriker surrounded by her family, all of them kissing and hugging her, some of her sisters and her mother crying. She looked away from the moment, understanding how hard it must have been for them. Thornstriker was so innocent. Almost too innocent. She knew nothing of love, sex, marriage or anything of the sort.   
  
Just as she turned to get the last bag, she made eye contact with Queen Charlotte. She stopped for a moment as the other looked at her, seeing the small plead in her eyes. Soundwave only nodded once before turning away to fetch the other bag.  
  
The evening of the day Thornstriker had asked her to come with her to the giant’s castle, she had been in her cottage, telling her children goodbye and that she would be leaving with the princess. Then, quite unexpectedly, there was a knock at the front door. Answering it, she had been stunned to find that it was the Queen. She allowed her inside and sent her children to bed before asking her what was wrong.  
  
Then, almost begging on her knees, the queen asked her to protect Thornstriker's innocence until she and Bloodshed were actually married. Queen Charlotte feared that Bloodshed would make sexual advances toward her and Thornstriker would be powerless to do anything to stop it. She begged Soundwave that if it ever came to that point, she would try and seduce Bloodshed to make him focus on her instead of Thornstriker.  
  
She had been shocked by such a request. She would have said no if the queen hadn't basically fallen to her knees, pleading with her entire life and offering her everything and anything if she were to do such a thing for her. But she had told the queen that she would do it without the rewards.   
  
Still, while she said she would do it, she didn't know if she could actually do it. It was to protect Thornstriker, she knew this, but... She would have to seduce a man and let him do whatever he wanted to her. Just like Razorcut had done whatever he had wanted to do to her all those years ago.   
  
But a promise was a promise. She would protect Thornstriker, no matter what. Even if she had to do something such as that. But she wouldn't let Thornstriker suffer like she did.


	8. Chapter 8

Bloodshed tapped on the side table as he leaned back against his chair. Bombrush was sitting in the chair next to him, watching his son tap at the wood before looking out the window and eventually turning back to stare at his finger tapping on the hard surface. He chuckled, shaking his head. "Bloodshed, just be patient; she'll be here soon."  
  
The prince looked up at his father and narrowed his eyes. He hated it when the older man would tease him like he was a child. He was a full grown giant who didn't need or want his father making fun of him. He also hated it that the other was a fan of intruding on his personal space. He had wanted to be alone inside the remote giant-human palace before the princess showed up, but no - Bombrush just forcibly came along and would probably be here the entire day.  
  
Sometimes, he really wanted to just strangle the king.   
  
"Don't you have other places to be?" he grumbled, looking out the window again.  
  
"Not really. Besides, I want to meet my future daughter-in-law. I never had a proper conversation with the girl."  
  
Bloodshed just grumbled to himself, causing the older giant to laugh. He wasn't sure what exactly had gone on during Bloodshed's and Thornstriker's little courting session, but Thornstriker certainly had Bloodshed hooked. It was cute, seeing his son having such a crush on that tiny princess. It was almost adorable, but he knew if he said that, Bloodshed would just get even more annoyed and would probably try to throw him out. Besides, he didn't think that would go over well with the princess if she saw Bloodshed trying to kill someone on the front lawn.   
  
“Don’t worry – I won’t bother you two for too long. I simply want to meet her.”  
  
“I don’t want to overwhelm her,” he said. “She… She’s young and… timid. I don’t want her to be frightened by me or anyone else.” He looked at his father and frowned. “And you tend to come on too strongly.”  
  
Bombrush chuckled, leaning back in his chair as he held up his hands. “I’ll try not to come on too strongly, then. Have you no faith in me?”  
  
“Considering your brothel is practically three times the size of mine, no. Not really.”  
  
Bombrush laughed once more as his son decided to ignore him as he waited for his bride to appear. All right – so he did have a habit of flirting with pretty women and his brothel was bigger than his son’s. But he had more time to fill it up with all sorts of beauties; of course his would be bigger! He didn’t say that though, knowing it would just make the other angry.   
  
Then, he heard a carriage pull up to the front. He glanced at his son, who seemed to stiff a bit when he saw the human servants pull up to the gate. It was too cute, especially considering how nervous the normally collected boy looked.   
  
He could still remember when the boy had been fretting over his decision. While it was obvious that he wanted to choose Thornstriker from the very beginning, she was still young. And innocent. He didn’t want to trap her into this like he had been trapped into it. But he was so fond of her. He already had an obvious crush on the girl and he would probably be the happiest with her out of all the princesses.  
  
Bombrush had to persuade the boy a bit to choose the young girl and, eventually, the boy had chosen her to be his wife. They would make a fine pair. He just knew it.  
  
Slowly, he rose to his feet and grabbed his cloak. “Well,” he said. “Shall we go greet them?”   
  
Bloodshed took a deep breath and nodded, standing up and picking up his coat as well. Dear God... How was she going to react to this? Or rather, how did she react to this? She may have been kind to him when they had first met, but... But what if she was suddenly afraid of him because he had chosen her instead of one of her sisters? What if she had believe he wouldn't choose her for whatever reason? Would she hate him for it?   
  
As he put on his coat, his own thoughts sending him into a small panic, he followed Bombrush out of the small castle and toward the front gate. One servant was unloading the bags while another had opened the carriage for them. He didn't recognize the first woman, which told him that she was the princess's chosen maid. He couldn't see her face because she was wearing her hood.   
  
Then the woman turned and helped the princess out, the girl also wearing her hood. But Bloodshed knew it was her in that white coat. He swallowed at the sight of her, feeling incredibly nervous and shy all of sudden. Damn it, he was acting like a child! This was so embarrassing... Especially when he heard his father laughing softly at his behavior.   
  
"I find it funny that the giant warrior prince of my kingdom is nervous about seeing a girl half your height."  
  
Bloodshed's temper flared as he turned to glare at his father. But just as he opened his mouth, he heard a crunch in the snow. He turned to see the maid and Thornstriker walking toward them, the maid a bit in front of the princess as the young girl's hands clutched onto her maid's coat tightly. It pained him a little to see that. She was afraid... Damn it, this wasn't what he wanted! He didn't want her to be scared!  
  
But he swallowed and kept his face neutral as the two women stepped up in front of him and his father before curtseying. He and Bombrush bowed before looking back up at them.   
  
Then Bombrush smiled gently, drawing their attention to him. "Welcome, both of you. I hope your journey wasn't too long."  
  
The maid shook her head. "It was very peaceful, thank you."  
  
Well, the maid certainly had a soothing voice. Much like a mother's. He wondered if that was why the princess had chosen this maid to come with her. To have some sort of motherly figure there with her so she wouldn't be so afraid. And he could clearly see how nervous she was now by the way she was holding the maid's gray coat.   
  
He looked to the princess and gave an even gentler smile. "You're going to rip her coat if you told it too tightly, Princess."  
  
Thornstriker gasped as she realized that she was being addressed, looking up at the smiling giant. She blushed a bit, letting go of her maid's coat and rubbed her hands. "I... I'm sorry."  
  
"No need to apologize. I understand that you must be quite nervous." Seeing her shift a bit, he decided a change in location would be best. "Let's come inside. I don't think it’s best we stay out here in the cold like this." He turned around, Bloodshed and the two humans following him as the giants kept a slow pace for them.  
  
As they entered the main hall, the door closing behind them, a human servant came out from the side, offering to take the two women's coats. They were a bit surprised to see a human servant here, but then they remembered the letter. Both giants and humans lived within the compound, so they would see others here like them as well. As a giant servant came out to take away Bloodshed's and Bombrush's coats, the two women handed the human servant theirs before rejoining the two men.  
  
They moved into the parlor where giant sized chairs were set up, along with some small chairs meant more giant children with step stools in front of them. Thornstriker figured that those must have been where the humans sat. Well, they certainly looked comfortable.   
  
"Please, have a seat."  
  
They nodded, moving over to the two chairs provided for them while Bombrush and Bloodshed sat on the regular chairs across from them. And as they sat down, the two giants finally got a look at Thornstriker's maid and were stunned by the sight.  
  
They had both imagined her to be older, as most maids were. Not to mention she had such a motherly tone in her voice that they had basically assumed she was older. But no, she was young. And incredibly beautiful. Pale skin, long straight black hair, pink lips, stunning red eyes... She almost didn't look human she was so gorgeous.   
  
Bloodshed was surprised at how... different they looked from each other. He wouldn't deny that she was beautiful, because she was, but... he could only focus on Thornstriker. Standing next to the maid only made her traits stand out more and made him more drawn to her.   
  
For Bombrush though, that was not the case. He could not look away from the exotic beauty standing before him. He had never seen a woman with her looks before. And he had believed that his brothel had been filled with the most gorgeous women – giantess and human alike! As it turned out, his brothel was missing this beauty. And he would love to do nothing more than try to win her over and get her into his bed.  
  
But he knew better than to do that. This maid was the servant of his son’s future daughter-in-law. He didn’t want to frighten her and have her think him to be an awful man, possibly influencing Thornstriker to think the same of all giants. He wasn’t about try anything.   
  
Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do a little flirting.  
  
He gave a small smirk as he leaned back in his seat. “My, my… May you give us the name of your pretty maid, Princess Thornstriker? She is quite beautiful.”  
  
Bloodshed looked to his father with a face twisted in both horror and disgust. He seriously wasn’t doing this, was he?! Fuck, that man would flirt with every and any pretty face! And now he was doing it with his future wife’s personal maid… God, he wanted to die of embarrassment.   
  
But Soundwave just turned to him with a straight face. This wasn’t the first time someone had complimented on her beauty. Of course, the giant had been the first king to praise her for her looks. Still, she was unfazed by it and simply bowed her head.  
  
“You flatter me, Your Majesty,” she said. “My name is Soundwave. I have been Princess Thornstriker’s caretaker for the past eight years.”   
  
“Eight years? How old are you, if I may?”  
  
“I’m thirty-two, Your Majesty.”   
  
“Ah,” Bombrush said, nodding to himself. She wasn’t as young as he first believed, but she was still quite young. And she had a pretty name. To match a beautiful woman, he assumed. Then he smiled. “Well, I welcome you as well, Miss Soundwave. Or is it Misses?”  
  
“Miss. My husband passed away eight years ago.”  
  
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear.”   
  
“It’s all right. I have recovered from it fine.”   
  
“Do you have any children?”  
  
“Four sons, my oldest being eighteen with sixteen year old twins and a thirteen year old.”  
  
“And you raised them alone since your husband’s passing?”  
  
“Yes.”   
  
The giant nodded, smirking a bit. Well, that was certainly impressive. Raising four boys alone for eight years while also being a nanny to a princess… Not to mention she didn’t even look tired or haggard or anything of the sort. She still retained a youthful image.   
  
“Well, you’re certainly an impressive young woman, as well as an attractive one.”  
  
“Thank you.”   
  
Bloodshed buried his face into his hand. This was so embarrassing… His father was flirting with his future wife’s maid! What the hell was he doing?! Was he trying to humiliate him?! But he tried to shake off the embarrassment and cleared his throat, everyone looking to him.   
  
“Princess, I… I hope my delay in my decision didn’t cause your family too much stress.”   
  
Realizing that the other giant was talking to her, she straightened up in her seat. For a moment, she had forgotten the real reason why she was here. It had been a bit humorous watching Bombrush flirt with her maid, who was seemingly unaffected by it. But she wasn’t here simply for a short visit. She was here to… get to know her future husband, the Prince of Giants.  
  
“O-Oh no…” she said, avoiding his gaze a bit. She felt bad for lying, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. “We… We had been worried that you wouldn’t give a response at all, but it appeared we didn’t have to worry…”  
  
Bombrush chuckled. “Well, I’m sorry my son caused you and your family undue stress. He had wanted to pick you from the beginning, but he kept wavering back and forth on the decision. He seems to care a lot about–”  
  
“ _Bombrush_ ,” the prince hissed out as his cheeks burned, embarrassed by his father’s blabbering. “That’s enough.”  
  
Thornstriker couldn’t but to blush, but let out a small giggle at the same time. She had almost forgotten that Bloodshed was actually a very sweet person. He may have been a giant, but that didn't make him evil. Besides, she had enjoyed his company too during the courting... She just didn't want to get married yet.   
  
Bombrush smirked at his son's embarrassment and held up his hands. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument in front of these two human women. Not unless he wanted to scare them both. But he knew that wouldn't turn out well, especially in regards to the princess. It was obvious she was intimidated and fighting would only make her feel more nervous about the given situation. It probably didn't help that she was not only with the prince, but the king, himself, as well.  
  
He gave a small huff and rose to his feet. Everyone turned to look at him, but he just smiled before looking to Thornstriker's maid. "I think it would be best if you and I take our leave, Miss Soundwave. Let's give the two some time to get more acquainted, hmm?"  
  
Soundwave looked to the princess, who bit her bottom lip. She glanced at Bloodshed, who seemed just as awkward and nervous as Thornstriker did. She couldn't help but to give a small smile before she sighed. "Will you be all right?"  
  
The younger woman nodded.  
  
"All right." Then she got off the chair and followed Bombrush out of the room. The king waited until Soundwave was standing a good few feet away from the door before closing it, leaving the princess and prince in private.   
  
Now alone in the room, the two looked at each other. But the minute they made eye contact, Thornstriker immediately looked away, cheeks red. It had been one thing when they were simply chatting to get to know each other. Now he had chosen her to be his wife. How could she not feel embarrassed by that?!  
  
Bloodshed inwardly panicked when she turned away. Great – now she was afraid of him! This was what he had feared in choosing her. She was old enough to marry and old enough to bear him children, but she was still… young. In some ways, she was a child. A child who liked the climb trees, a child who fell off of them, a child who didn’t have truly any responsibilities as the youngest princess.   
  
But, despite that… He was attracted to her. She wasn’t like her sisters. They had things in common in terms of literature and the arts. She did not put herself out there, much like himself. She was very humble, which he liked. And she was pretty, beautiful. He didn’t care if Cometstar was the most gorgeous princess of the five – that woman was a bitch. Thornstriker… was kind, sweet. And a great person to have a conversation with.  
  
He let out a small huff and rubbed the back of his neck. “Princess… You… You don’t need to be frightened. I have… no intentions of hurting you in any way.”   
  
Thornstriker blinked, looking up at the giant. Good Lord, he seemed just as nervous as she did. And why did he think that she believed he wanted to hurt her? She would never believe Bloodshed to be mindlessly violent like that! He had been nothing but sweet to her when they first met…  
  
She swallowed. “I-I know you don’t, my Lord…” she said timidly, looking down at her hands on her lap.  “I… It’s not that I’m afraid of you… I… It’s just I…” But she wasn’t sure how to formulate the right words, weakly giving up and wallowing in embarrassment.   
  
“Is… the thought of being my wife that unsettling?”  
  
“N-No… No, it’s not that…”  
  
“May… I inquire on the issue?”  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and looked away. She didn’t want to insult him or have him believe the wrong thing. Her issue with this entire thing wasn’t because of Bloodshed for his person! She didn’t care that he was a giant or anything like that. She didn’t want him to think that way when that wasn’t and would never be the case…  
  
“Princess?”  
  
“I… It isn’t because of you, s-so please don’t think so…” She started rubbing her hands nervously, fearing that she would hurt his feelings.   
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
“I… It’s just… I… I don’t…”  
  
“You don’t… what?” He could feel his heart pounding a thousand beats a second. Was she trying to find a polite way to say she didn’t want to marry a giant? That she was afraid to be a giant’s wife?  She had been so friendly to him during their courting that he had believed that she didn’t mind giants. He had been wrong…  
  
“I… I never… I wanted…” She felt embarrassed and ashamed. He would probably take it as an insult when she didn’t mean it in that way! But she swallowed, forcing herself to tell him the truth. “My Lord, I… I never… I don’t want to get married yet. I-I know it sounds foolish, b-but… I… I had hoped to be a… a child a little longer and… And I wanted to marry… for love…”   
  
Bloodshed just stared at the human for the longest time. So… it wasn’t because he was a giant. She just didn’t want to get married in general, especially not when she didn’t love her husband-to-be.   
  
He… could understand that. As she said, she wanted to be a child a little longer, implying she knew very well how she was still naïve about the “adult” world. It did hurt a little to know she didn’t feel any sort of attraction toward him like he felt with her, but… it was understandable.   
  
At least it hadn’t been as he had feared. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him or anything of the sort. She still saw him as just simply another person, not a giant. That relieved him a little. But he still needed to calm her nerves. He didn’t want her to be on edge during her entire stay.  
  
Slowly, carefully, he stood up from his seat and moved closer to her. Her eyes widened as the giant stood in front of her for a few moments before he got down on his knees in front of her. She blinked as he stretched out one of his large hands, gently resting it on top of hers.   
  
“My Lord, what–”  
  
“Princess… I know this is hard for you,” he said softly. “My… decision has taken you away from your family and brought you into some foreign kingdom in some unknown castle with a giant you aren’t greatly familiar with. You do not love me, but you’re going to marry me, even though you didn’t want to marry for a long time… I’m sorry I’ve ripped your dreamed future away from you.”   
  
She blushed. “N-No, you didn’t…”  
  
“You don’t need to be kind,” he said. “Princess… I may not be the husband you want or be a part of the future you had dreamed for yourself. However…” He gently took one of her small hands and gently held it, making her blush darken. “I will protect you. I will cherish you.  I swear to you, I will take care of you, no matter your feelings for me. I won’t ever let you suffer. I swear this to you, not only as the Prince of the Giants… but also as your future husband.”   
  
He bent down and planted a soft kiss on the delicate human hand, looking up to see Thornstriker blushing like mad. He gave a small smile and bowed his head, taking his hands away from her. She reached up to press her hands against her cheeks, trying to cool herself down. She was overwhelmed. No one had ever said such embarrassing things to her before!  
  
But she knew she had to say something back, no matter how embarrassed she was. “Th-Thank you, m-my Lord,” she stammered out, cheeks still burning.   
  
“Princess… You… can just call me, Bloodshed,” he said softly. Then he wondered if he had gone overboard when her face seemed to turn even redder, though he did find it cute.   
  
“Al-All right…” she said, voice shaking with humiliation. Call a man – and a prince, no less – by his name only?! The other men she called by her first names were her brothers! How could she call a stranger, though her future husband, without his proper title?! She couldn’t stop her face from getting red with the idea, eventually looking away because she was so embarrassed.   
  
He gave a small smirk at that. She was really adorable and was good company. He would definitely enjoy having her as his wife. Still, he had to help her understand that being his wife didn’t change anything. They could still be like how they were the day the met. Comfortable and normal around each other. She didn’t need to be afraid of anything while she was with him.   
  
“Princess–”  
  
“Y-You may just call me Th-Thornstriker,” she said, attempting to be fair in the addressing of names. Of course, when she thought about another man unrelated to her calling her by her name only, it only made her cheeks burn.  
  
“… All right. Thornstriker.”  
  
Her entire face lit up, looking down at the hands in her lap.  
  
“You said you read Oliver Grant?”  
  
The girl blinked, looking up at the giant as he stood up and turned away, walking over to a book shelf. He pulled out one of the novels and walked back over to her, resting the larger book down beside her. “When we talked, you said you were an avid reader of Oliver Grant’s work, but you hadn’t been able to read his latest work.”  
  
“Oh… Oh yes, I hadn’t been…” She gave a small smile. “You remembered.”  
  
He nodded, content to see her appearing less nervous than before. This would work. They would be good together as husband and wife… Everything would be well, peaceful. It would all be fine.


	9. Chapter 9

Soundwave stood by the door with the Giant King as they listened in on the younger ones. While the king was happy to hear that things had gotten less awkward between the two, Soundwave still worried. While it didn’t seem as if he was making any advances toward her now, she still had to be cautious about Bloodshed. Lord only knew when he would finally strike…  
  
“You don’t need to look so worried.”  
  
The maid blinked, looking up at the giant, who was smirking down at her.  
  
“I know you think us giants to be monstrous, but I can assure you, most of us are as civilized as you are. My son won’t do anything to hurt your princess.”  
  
She frowned slightly as this. He thought her to be as simple-minded as some of those bigots out in the countryside? She felt offended, especially considering she at one point preferred giants over humans. “I know you believe us humans to be prejudice against your kind, but I can assure you, not all of us think you are barbarians. I’m simply concern about my lady because she tends to be nervous in unfamiliar settings.”    
  
He raised an eyebrow. Had she just talked back to him? No one ever talked back to him, except for Bloodshed. And why would he? He was the king. Well… That was certainly a surprise. And a bit of a turn-on, if he were being honest. Not many showed such bravery like she just had.   
  
“My apologies for assuming,” he said, giving a small smirk. He reached down and turned her chin towards him, the woman’s eyes widening. “I just assume all pretty women are afraid of giants because they fear one of the less humane ones will carry them off.”   
  
Again with the flattery… She felt more suspicious of the king’s advances toward women than the prince’s. From the moment she had taken off her hood, this giant was being incredibly forward with his compliments. She could tell what his desires were as he wasn’t the only man to ever make advances toward her since her husband’s death, but she knew better than to encourage it.   
  
If anything, she had to make it known she was uninterested in any relationship with any man, human or giant, romantic or simply sexual. Carefully, she pulled away from the giant’s gentle grip on her chin and stepped away from him to look up at him.   
  
“Your Majesty, I am under the impression you’re attempting to woo me, who is nothing more than a humble servant to the princess. Please correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t wish to think that you are trying to flatter me in an attempt to have me join you in a more intimate setting, as I don’t wish to compare you to other men who tried the same.”  
  
Bombrush was speechless for a few moments, unsure of what to say. She figured it out? And had subtly told him to cease his actions? Well…That… was yet another first. He was starting to like this woman more and more. While others kings might have been offended or even angered by her back talk, he found exciting and endearing. Not many were brave enough to speak to even just a giant like that. And he was the Giant King. Not that it seemed to matter to her… She wasn’t just going to roll over for him, despite their very different social positions.   
  
He smirked. He liked challenges and he had not had a challenge like this before. Normally, he would just say a few sweet words and in no time, a fine and mannered lady would turn into a wanton woman in his bed. But it was not to be the same with this one. She didn’t want words and she could easily deflect them. And she was certainly a beautifully exotic prize worth winning.      
  
“You certainly shouldn’t compare,  _Miss Soundwave_ ,” he purred, making sure to say her name slowly and carefully. He held back a laugh at the sight of her eyes widening ever so slightly at the sound of her name. “Because unlike those other men who attempted to woo you and obviously failed, I can assure you I am not so easily defeated.”   
  
She raised an eyebrow. So… the king wasn’t going to give up like the others. He was definitely a different man, a strange man. Most were turned off by her coldness and lack of embarrassed response, so they would leave without another word. Bombrush was not like them though, much to her dissatisfaction.  
  
“I have no interest in the relationship you wish to have with me, Your Highness.”  
  
“And what relationship might that be?”  
  
“One where I simply lie on my back and allow you to do whatever you please.” She said that with a little too much venom in her voice, remembering the times her late husband had been forceful and had hurt her during their marriage.   
  
Bombrush chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, trust me, my dear… You would be doing more than simply lying on your back.”    
  
Soundwave eyes narrowed at the giant. So… He was  _this_  kind of king. Flirtatious and perverted. Not to mention annoyingly persistent. Why he was interested in her was beyond her. She was just a maid. She knew she wasn’t ugly, but she couldn’t be so attractive as to catch the eye of a king. Was it because she was human that he believed overtaking her would be easy? She did not easily submit to men’s advances like that. She was not and would never be that kind of woman. She felt insulted he thought that way.   
  
“My Lord, I hope you understand that a desire such as that will never become a reality.”   
  
"Oh really? And makes you think you can refuse a king?”  
  
“You may be far above me in terms of social status, but I will not allow you to degrade me and make you your whore. You may be a king, but you are not  _my_  king. My loyalty is to King Ultra Magnus and my lady. Not to you.”   
  
He smiled and nodded. He was beginning to like this human more and more. She was straightforward and stern, which only made her more erotic in his eyes. How he would love to bed this one. “Very well. I shall admit defeat… For now anyway.”  
  
Soundwave’s eyes widened and she gasped when his hand came to her chin again, holding it in place as he leaned down. She stiffened when his lips brushed against her cheek, but he pulled away before she had a chance to react. It was surprisingly chaste, but it made her inwardly panic a bit. She kept up a straight face, not wanting the other to know how she felt a wave of fear come through her.  
  
“I’ll say this though,” he said with that damn smirk still on his face. “If I want a woman, I will eventually woo her into my bed… And I have yet to fail on getting what I want. Remember that.”  
  
She just glared at him and growled out, “Do not touch me like that again.”  
  
“Of course. As you wish.”   
  
Soundwave turned her back to him, looking at the door where her princess was behind. She prayed that the prince was nothing like his father. This king was a deviant! She wanted nothing to do with him… His forceful nature reminded her too much of her late husband.  
  
She already lived through hell once. She didn’t want to live through it again.     
  
Bombrush just watched the woman as she turned her back to him. He could see her trembling ever so slightly, making him wonder if he had pushed it a little too far. Well, perhaps he had… She had made it clear that she was not interested in a relationship. The kiss was probably too much. He didn't mean to frighten her with his flirting.   
  
“My apologies,” he said honestly, despite the woman still facing away from him. Of course, when he spoke, she perked up and looked over at him, obviously surprised. He just gave a small smile. “While I enjoy teasing others, I don’t care to frighten them when that isn’t the intention.”   
  
She said nothing as she just stared at him. While he sounded sincere, she knew better. Razorcut, when he hadn’t been drunk, had pretended to be sincere and promised to never hurt her again, only to beat her later on during that same day. Not that she would ever voice that to anyone.   
  
“I was not frightened,” she said, turning away from him.  
  
“Oh really?”  
  
“Really.”  
  
The giant chuckled. This woman was certainly a stubborn one… She would not admit to anything she didn’t want to admit to. He liked that. It certainly created more fun for him.   
  
But, as he said before, he would admit defeat for now. Obviously simple words wouldn’t win this one over. No, she needed to trust him first. She needed to understand that he would not simply take advantage of her. He wanted her to consent by her own free will. He had to be a gentleman about all of this. And gentlemen he would most certainly be.  
  
“Well, if you were not frightened, Miss Soundwave, then please,” he said, making her look back at him once more. “Allow me the honor of showing you around. I would hate for you to get lost because you didn’t know any of the rooms.”  
  
She eyed him suspiciously for a few moments. He wanted to show her around? Just how stupid did he believe her to be? He had told her he wanted her to join him in bed. Now he was asking her to let him show her around? She knew perfectly well that this was his kingdom. He could do anything he wanted to do, including dragging her into a room and having his way with her. Who would stop him? He was the king.  
  
She had to try to avoid being alone with him. She gestured to the door where the princess was behind. “What about my lady? She tends to get more lost than I do. Surely she needs to be shown around as well.”  
  
“I’m certain my son will give her a tour of the place once they are more acquainted.”  
  
“I don’t think I should leave her alone just yet.”  
  
“Oh, she will be perfectly fine.” He slowly rose to his feet, straightening himself out a bit. “Bloodshed won’t mind being her guide, I can assure you. We both wish to make her feel comfortable here. And you as well.”  
  
Soundwave doubted that last phrase, considering she wasn’t fond of the king’s advances. And he wasn’t giving her much of a choice in the matter. He wanted to show her around and, as king, he could do what he wanted. She may have not have been loyal to him, but she was still just a maid. Bombrush could order her around if he wished. She didn’t want it to come to that point either, fearing the worst out of that.  
  
She finally gave a small huff. “Very well. Lead the way.”  
  
He smiled, waiting for her to catch up to him. Then he slowly walked forward, making sure his pace matched the human’s. While she may have been a stubborn one, he was a persistent one. The challenge would be hard, but he would enjoy every single second of it.  
  
And when Soundwave finally gave in, it would definitely be the best prize he had ever won.


	10. Chapter 10

Thornstriker was feeling much better than before. After Bloodshed had given her the book to look over, they had started talking about the author, which helped her relax a little bit. Bloodshed also wasn't as awkward as before, making everything much easier. Eventually, because she had told him how she loved to read in the library back home, Bloodshed escorted her to the library.  
  
She felt a little bad though. He had to walk at her pace because his steps were obviously much larger than hers were. It must have been hard for him to change his pace just so she could keep up. He was a giant after all... But she tried to walk as fast as she could, not wanting him to have to force himself to walk too slowly because of her small steps. Sometimes, she really hated being short and having small strides...  
  
"The library here isn't as nice as the one at your home," Bloodshed admitted as they walked down the hallway. "But it's a quiet place where you can relax if you ever want to be alone."   
  
She smiled. "I'm sure it's just fine."  
  
He nodded, stepping over to the door to what she assumed was the library and gently pushed it open. When she walked inside, she was amazed by the size of it. To her, it was huge! The shelves seemed just tower her... But then she remembered that this was mainly meant for giants and, comparing the room to Bloodshed's size, it was a modest size room. Also, she liked the atmosphere this library provided. It was cozy, warm... It had a homier feel to it.   
  
She looked up at the prince. "I think it's a very nice library. Certainly bigger than any I've ever been in."  
  
"That's because you're a human." He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "If you were my size, you would see how this place pales in comparison."  
  
"You're too modest. Really - it's a fine place."  
  
"You're too kind."  
  
Thornstriker turned away slightly, holding back the slight burning of her cheeks. "T-Thank you."  
  
"...You're welcome." Bloodshed almost felt as small as the princess. He wasn't very good at taking compliments and while he was normally able to brush them off, he found it hard to do it with her. It was just how she said it... and how she would glance at him as if she were afraid to upset him.  
  
"Uh, would you like to see the collection I was talking about before? With a signed copy from the author?"  
  
"O-Of course, Prin- B-Bloodshed."  
  
The giant prayed that he wouldn't mess this up. He had been stumped as to how to calm the princess down and make her feel comfortable. The library was the only option that came to mind when he had run out of things to say back in the parlor. If he screwed up, he didn't know how he was going to be able to convince Thornstriker that she would be safe and happy in this castle.  
  
As Bloodshed was freaking out on the inside, Thornstriker was having trouble doing her best to not freak out as well. What could she do when she was surrounded by so many wonderful books, both human and giant sized? She saw books that she hadn't seen in forever, ones she fondly remembered, and even a few that her family's giant library had never been able to find! Most of the unfamiliar works were giant-sized books. She wondered how she would be able to read them. Perhaps she could ask Bloodshed to help her hold the book or maybe turn the pages-  
  
She suddenly bumped into something that grunted back. She suddenly realized that she had just walked right into Bloodshed who was holding one of the shelves.  
  
"O-Oh my! I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention a-and I-"  
  
"I-I'm sorry, I should have warned you we needed to stop."  It had been sudden, feeling her body against his so briefly… And yet, the feeling of her petite body against his leg had nearly caused him to jump up through the ceiling. But he forced himself to keep calm and under control of himself, clearing his throat. "Are you all right?"  
  
"O-Oh, yes... I-I'm just fine."  
  
He nodded. Then, carefully, he pulled down a book and one of the shelves came out, almost like a door. Thornstriker just watched as a small passage came into view, the walls lined up with shelves of nothing but old books. She didn't even realize she had taken a few steps forward, almost in disbelief at the sight of it all.  _This_  was his collection? Dear Lord... it was certainly the most impressive thing she had ever seen.  
  
As she walked in a bit more, she didn't see Bloodshed follow in. She had walked a little further inside, only to have her heart jump when she heard the shelf move again. She quickly turned around, eyes widening when she saw Bloodshed close off the passage, leaving just him and her inside. A small wave of anxiety came over her as she quickly looked around the room, subconsciously trying to see if there was anywhere for her to hide and possibly escape through.  
  
While she thought Bloodshed to be a kind giant, it was simply instinct. She was trapped alone in a secluded room that she wasn't sure how many people knew about with a giant. What if he suddenly turned violent and tried to hurt her? She had recalled some horror stories of giants tricking human women into thinking they were good people, only to do unspeakable things to them. She didn't think Bloodshed would do that to her... But she couldn't help but to feel a bit frightened, backing away from him.  
  
As Bloodshed turned back around to face the human, he blinked when he saw a look of fear on her face. His eyes widened, confusion and panic running through him. Why was she afraid? What had he done to scare her? He couldn’t think of anything…  
  
Then he glanced back at the exit, which had now been closed. Oh shit, why did he do that?! It was out of habit… He didn’t want anyone coming in here, so he always closed the pathway behind him so no one would see him. But now there was a human inside as well. And just because they were friendly toward each other, it didn’t make her less afraid of his obvious size and power.   
  
And, truthfully, the only way out was the way he had just closed off. To her, it probably looked like he had trapped her inside to potentially hurt her.  
  
“I-I-I normally keep this closed,” he stuttered hastily, touching the hidden door. He had to explain himself to her! He couldn’t have her think the wrong thing! “I-It’s habit because I don’t want anyone in here and finding this place because they tend to bother me…” Then he cleared his throat, realizing he was rambling like a fool. “If… If you prefer I keep this open, I will open it for you.”  
  
Thornstriker just stared at him for a few moments, seeing how panicky he had become. Well… It certainly wasn’t how she thought he would act like her first instincts had made her believe. And seeing him all jumpy at this was a bit funny… She couldn’t help but to giggle a little, relaxing.  
  
“No… No, just keep it close,” she said. “I… I would hate for someone to find this place and disturb you.” Not to mention she didn’t want anyone crude coming in here and doing something awful to these wonderful sets of books.   
  
She slowly turned her back to him, not seeing him relax in relief. While he was happy that she no longer appeared to be frightened due to her rather adorable laugh, she just looked at the giant’s collection. Some of the titles she saw she was unfamiliar with while she saw many books that she had within her own library but hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. But there were also books she saw that she had heard of but never read because of how rare they were.   
  
How Bloodshed acquired such a collection, Thornstriker had no idea. Still, she was completely mesmerized by the whole thing, walking a bit more inside the hidden room.   
  
As she moved around, obviously more comfortable, Bloodshed stepped over to the side to find that one book Oliver Grant had signed, making sure he could see Thornstriker out of the corner of his eye. When she seemed to simply be observing, he turned away for a few moments to find the book. He smiled when he saw it on one of the lower rows of books, carefully pulling it out and brushing some dust off the front.  
  
He looked over at Thornstriker, who had made her way over to the small chair and table by the window at the end of the room. He cleared his throat, the princess looking at him as he slowly approached her. She perked up when she saw the book in his hands, waiting for him to come up next to her.   
  
He carefully kneeled down in front of her. While it probably looked completely improper and ridiculous for someone of his status and age to do such a thing, he couldn’t very well put the book on the table. That would require him to lift her up to set her on the table and he highly doubted the princess would be comfortable with him touching her so familiarly. Not to mention that he wasn’t so sure if he would be comfortable touching her either.   
  
As he sat down on his knees, he gently placed the book down in front of her. She looked at the cover, her eyes brightening up. Oh God… She knew this book! It may have been a while since she had read it, but she could still remember the story… She suddenly felt incredibly envious of the giant. He had gotten Oliver Grant to sign  _Midnight Rain_ , one of her favorite books by him!  
  
Seeing her face grow excited, he raised an eyebrow. “Have you read this?”  
  
She nodded eagerly, smiling brightly when the prince opened up the cover to reveal Oliver Grant’s signature just below the title. Thornstriker couldn’t help but to touch the small signature on the large paper, running her fingernails gently over it.  
  
“You have no idea as to how envious I am of you,” she giggled, pulling back her hand as she looked up at him. “This is one of my favorites of his.”  
  
He blinked. “It’s one of mine as well.”  
  
“Oh wow – really?!” she cried, thrilled. No one else in her family had liked it. They said that the story was too focused on the man’s grievances throughout the book, but that was what made the whole story! It was a story about ending one life to begin another, but how the new life was never easy to start…   
  
“What did you like about it?” she asked, still clearly excited.  
  
He smiled a bit. She really did love this book… But so did he. It was a good one in how it juxtaposed the main character’s old life with his new one. “I liked how the author parallels his former wife to the dried up lake by her grave.”   
  
“Oh yes! I felt incredibly bad for him; he couldn’t move on because he loved his late wife so much… And that son! Good God, I wish someone would have hit him! He was a thief, stealing from his own father!”  
  
“But he loved his son, even if he knew he was evil.”  
  
“I know… But still.”  
  
Bloodshed chuckled at the small pout on the girl’s face. He found it to be cute, especially with how she had gotten into the little discussion about the book. Then again, as she said, it was one of her favorite books… Not to mention she was utterly infatuated with Oliver Grant’s signature. Then again, it wasn’t as if he would be signing any other books since he had passed away nearly six years ago.   
  
He glanced down at the book before looking at up at her. While this was one of his more prized possessions, this girl was going to be his wife. And this book was one of the smaller ones… She could carry it without too much trouble and turn the pages easily. Besides, he genuinely liked her and was very much attracted to her. He also wanted her to know that he would make good of his promise to take care of her. He only wanted her to be happy.   
  
A bit nervously, he cleared his throat. Thornstriker blinked and looked up at him, confused as to why he looked so uneasy. She stepped back a bit, wondering if she had done something wrong. “Prin – Bloodshed?”   
  
“Thornstriker…”  
  
The princess couldn’t help but to blush as the other said her name. She wondered if she would ever get used to that… She doubted it, but she simply nodded to him to show she had heard him.   
  
“I…” He paused, looking down at the small novel once more. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the book and presented it up right to the human girl. “I would like you to have this. Think of it… almost like an engagement gift.”   
  
She just stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. She wasn't sure if she had heard correctly. He... was giving her this? A signed copy of  _Midnight Rain_? How... How was she supposed to accept something like this?! This was something priceless, precious! Why would he give it to her?!   
  
Her face burned brightly as she opened and closed her mouth, trying to make sense of what the giant had just said. At first, she thought that maybe he was just pulling a cruel joke on her, but when she looked at his face, she could see just how dead serious he was about giving this to her. It made her cheeks darken even more, making her unable to find the proper response. Just how was she supposed to respond anyway?! She knew she had to say something, but what?!  
  
"Thornstriker?"  
  
"I- I, um, I..." She couldn't get a single word out, not knowing what to actually say! Damn it, she wished Soundwave was there with her! She would help her give the giant a solid answer! She looked at the book that was held out to her again, biting her bottom lip. He wanted her to have something as precious as this! She couldn't take this from him!  
  
"Thornstriker?" he repeated, worried now.  
  
"I-I can't accept this..." she finally whimpered, face still red as she looked at her feet. "I.. I can't..."  
  
He inwardly panicked at that. Why couldn't she accept it? Did... Did she not like him enough to accept such a thing? Had he been too bold? But he tried to keep himself calm, not wanting to show her that he was afraid of her rejection. "But I want you to have it."  
  
Her entire face went red. "I-I can't take something you treasure as much as this!" she cried.  
  
A small wave of relief came over him. So she wasn't rejecting the gift because she didn't like him... It was because it was something he valued very much. But he wanted her to accept it. He wanted her to understand that he would treasure her too and treat her right as her future husband. Setting the book down on the ground, he straightened himself up a bit in an attempt to show her how serious he was being about this.  
  
"Thornstriker," he started slowly, trying to form the right words. "I... I just want you to be comfortable here. I... I want you to know that I will do everything I can to make you happy here."  
  
She looked down at her feet. "Y-You don't need to do that..."  
  
"But I want to. Thornstriker..." He waited until she looked up at him again before he continued. "I took you from your family and from your kingdom because I selfishly chose to marry you out of all your sisters. I brought you here to some unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people… And the only things you are familiar with are the books I have here.”    
  
He picked the book back up again and presented to her once more. “I want to give you something I treasure because I have taken away things you treasure. Your family, your kingdom, your wish to be a child a little longer, your potential future with a human man you would have fallen in love with… I can only give you something like this to treasure instead. It may not be much compared to what I have taken from you… But I had promised to take care of you and make sure you are cared for and happy here. This is the very least I can do for you.”   
  
Her cheeks reddened. Why he cared so much for her happiness and comfort, she didn’t know. She didn’t appreciate it any less… She just wished she knew how to handle it better.  
  
She looked at the gift he offered to her once more. Something so precious… He was giving it to someone like her. Almost like a stranger. Not that she wouldn’t treasure it, because she would. But… how could he give this to someone he barely knew, all in the name of a promise to protect her?  
  
But she had a feeling that he would keep attempting to have her accept it until she did. Looking down at her feet again, too embarrassed to look up at him, she said softly, “A-All right… I… I’ll accept it. Th-Thank you very much…”  
  
He nodded. “I’ll carry this for you. Until we reach your room. Is that all right?”  
  
“Y-Yes…”  
  
Nodding once more, he slowly rose to his feet. “You’re welcomed to come here anytime,” he said, gesturing to the hidden room. “Same goes with the library. Use it as you will. You’ll need my help or a giant servant’s help to pick out some of the books you want, though.”  
  
Thornstriker could only nod. She was so overwhelmed and embarrassed and God… She wasn’t sure how she was going to handle this. She had never been treated like this before, let alone by a man!  
  
He moved back over toward the entrance, opening the door. “I… I’ll show you around the rest of the manor. If you wish to, I mean.”  
  
“O-Oh… Yes… That’s fine.” Besides, she figured a change of scenery would settle her nerves a bit more. She was too embarrassed to just stay in this area.   
  
She walked out as fast as she could so Bloodshed didn’t have to linger by the doorway for too long. Once she was out of the room and out of the way, Bloodshed closed off the door to his collection of books. He looked down at her and asked, “Is… there anywhere in particular you wish to see?”  
  
“No… No,” she replied, looking down at her feet. “Anywhere is fine…”  
  
Damn. Now he was at a loss as to what to do. He wanted to get to know her better, but… He was terrible at connecting with people, women especially. With the exception of his friend Nebula, he only connected with women sexually. He just didn’t know how to interact with them on a more personal level. The only reason he could with Nebula because she did everything a man would do, so he related to her that way.   
  
But Thornstriker was not Nebula. She wasn’t like the other women he had encounter either. She was… different. Special. He didn’t want to treat her like he had other women. He just wished he knew what to say and didn’t sound like some foolish awkward teenager.   
  
The door to the library opened, making both the royals turn. Bombrush was standing there, holding the door open to allow Soundwave inside.   
  
“Soundwave!” Thornstriker cried, smiling brightly when she saw her maid. She suddenly felt relieved that someone she was well acquainted with was there too. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could be alone with the prince without her face staying permanently red with embarrassment.   
  
Soundwave perked up when she heard her name called. When she looked at the princess, who appeared to be completely unharmed, she let out a small breath of relief. It didn’t seem as though Bloodshed had tried to do anything… unlike his father.  
  
While Bombrush had done what he said and gave her a tour of the manor, he hadn’t exactly made her feel comfortable. He kept his distance and didn’t touch her again, but he continuously made suggestive remarks toward her. It irritated her, but the most she did was verbally dismiss them, knowing she couldn’t do much else.   
  
"What are you two doing here?" Bloodshed said, looking to his father.  
  
Bombrush shrugged. "I offered to give Miss Soundwave a tour of the manor, considering this is where she and Princess Thornstriker will be living here for the next six months before the relocate to the castle. Surely you were thinking to do the same?" Then, with a dark and mischievous smirk, he added, "Unless you brought her in here for more... entertaining purposes."   
  
Both Soundwave's and Bloodshed's eyes widened at the suggestive tone in the king's words. While Soundwave remained horrified at the idea, Bloodshed gritted his teeth together in rage. Christ, was he trying to get Thornstriker to fear him or something?! Why the hell would he even say something like that?!  
  
Thornstriker, however, didn't understand what Bombrush meant. She just smiled up at him and said, "Oh, I was quite entertained with what Prince Bloodshed had showed me."   
  
Everyone, including the king, looked at her with wide eyes as she just smiled. Soundwave's horror only grew, thinking the worst. Had she failed her princess? Had she allowed Bloodshed to defile this innocent child, all because she hadn't been there to protect her?! She couldn't bear the idea and felt her heart race a thousand beats for minute.   
  
Bombrush just stared at her, a bit confused. He had just been joking... Had Bloodshed actually done something to the girl? "Such as?" he asked carefully.  
  
"He showed me his wonderful book collection," she said, bringing her hands up to her chest and rubbing them together. "We conversed a bit over this one story - I was certainly entertained by it."  
  
Soundwave felt a wave of relief come over her. Right. She had forgotten for a moment how... unbelievably innocent Thornstriker was. It certainly relieved her, but she didn't want another scare like  _that_  ever again. She thought her heart would stop beating.  
  
Bombrush was doing everything in his power not to burst out laughing. Dear Lord... just how innocent was the young princess?! He knew that she was a proper girl, but Christ! She couldn't even catch the subtle hint! He just couldn't believe it... He had never met someone as innocent as her before. He hoped that she would become a little more knowledgeable of innuendos and such. Or he feared that things would be very awkward for both her and Bloodshed when they consummated their marriage.  
  
Collecting himself, he just gave a small smile down at the girl. "Oh really? You like to read?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
He looked up at his son, who still looked dumbfounded at the new understanding of his future wife's innocence. Deciding to have a little fun with both the boy and the girl's maid a bit more, he turned back to the princess.  
  
"What are your preferred genres?"  
  
Thornstriker thought about it for a minute before deciding. "I actually like a lot of different types. Dramas and historical fiction tend to be my favorites. Though I do occasionally enjoy a few books relating to the natural sciences."  
  
"Not a romance reader?"  
  
"Well... I read those occasionally. My older sister Cometstar loves them."  
  
"And what kind does she read?"  
  
Thornstriker blushed at that, Soundwave's eyes widening a bit as she looked up at Bombrush. She eyed him suspiciously, stepping closer to Thornstriker in case Bombrush or Bloodshed attempted to do anything.  
  
Thornstriker cleared her throat, trying to forget about her sister's more... erotic romance collection. She didn't read those, considering she wasn't a fan of the writing style most of those books carried. Not to mention they were… too romantic. She could still recall that one time when she was fourteen where Cometstar showed her a lovemaking scene from one of her books.  
  
She didn't really understand what had been going on and truthfully, she still didn't. But the words and details that described both the man and woman's genitalia embarrassed her and frightened her a little. She didn't know how to handle it and she ended up throwing the book on the bed before rushing out of Cometstar's room, who just laughed at her for her reaction. She never told anyone about it, not even Soundwave, not ever wanting to talk about it again.  
  
"U-Um... she, um... reads the... more... sensual books," she stammered, looking down at her feet with red cheeks.   
  
He raised an eyebrow. Someone like Thornstriker usually didn't blush unless they were too embarrassed to admit something. While others, including Soundwave, would be too quick to say it was because of the mention of sensual books, Bombrush was more observing when it came to others. It helped to figure out what other giants leader were really saying, especially Megatron and Starscream.  
  
The human princess was child's play. It wasn't because her sister read the more erotic novels; Thornstriker had to have  _read_  them to be so flushed at the mention of them.  
  
Of course, while he hadn't planned on teasing his future daughter-in-law, especially on the first day, Bombrush was too turned on by the look of nervousness on the other woman's face and his son's dumbfounded expression. Bloodshed was not one to show this other side of his emotions be shown. Yet, there he was, expressing something other than apathy or anger as he still stood wide-eyed at his bride-to-be. And Bombrush just loved riling the boy up.  
  
"Have you read them?"  
  
"Wha-What?"  
  
"Have you read them?" he repeated, smiling. "I only ask because you seem to  _know_  that the books she reads are more erotic than perhaps the romance novels you read. Surely you've read one of her books, yes?"  
  
How did he know that?! Thornstriker inwardly panicked, face bright red as she tried to find a way out of this. But she was too embarrassed to think rationally, allowing Bombrush to smirk a bit more.  
  
"So... which one of them have you read?" he asked. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see his son growing absolutely furious, his hands balling into fists. He glanced at Soundwave, who was staring at him with an expression mixed with horror and fury. It was incredibly adorable and it made him laugh softly to himself.  
  
"I-I didn't... J-Just one part..."  
  
"Oh? And what part would that be? I don't think it was just a simple kissing scene, no. It was much more... graphic, yes?"  
  
Thornstriker felt her entire face grow red, feeling mortified that the giant could read her so easily. She trembled slightly, not knowing what to do or even say, opening and closing her dry mouth uselessly as she was left defenseless against the other.   
  
“So, what did you read?”  
  
“I…! I…!”  
  
“Bombrush.”  
  
The king looked up at his son, who was glaring murderously at him. Thornstriker had yet to turn around, Soundwave coming up beside her and trying to calm her down. The poor girl was completely embarrassed and bewildered, unsure of what to do. Furious, Bloodshed walked over to his father, seizing him by the arm and dragging him out the room.  
  
Bombrush chuckled as he was brought into the hallway. “I don’t think you’re allowed to grab a king like that.”  
  
Bloodshed glared as he turned to face the other. “You’re lucky they were there or I would have smashed your skull into the wall.” Bloodshed kept his voice down, not wanting the princess and her maid to hear them.   
  
“I didn’t do anything.”  
  
“ _You know exactly what you were doing in there!_ ” Bloodshed hissed out, making sure his voice was quiet for only the two of them to hear. “You…! I don’t care how much you tease me – just leave her alone!”  
  
Bombrush raised an eyebrow. “What? I can’t have a little fun with my future daughter-in-law?”  
  
“You’re harassing her!”  
  
“Oh, it’s just a little harmless entertainment,” Bombrush chuckled, shaking his head.   
  
Bloodshed found himself growing furious. His hands clenched as he tried to keep himself calm, not wanting to cause a scene and frighten Thornstriker with his violent wrath. He also didn’t want his father messing this up for him. He genuinely liked Thornstriker and he wanted her to feel safe here. He didn’t want her to hate her new life here.  
  
“Don’t you dare ruin this for me,” he growled. “I don’t want her to hate living here or hate me. I will kill you if you mess this up for me, Bombrush.”   
  
The king’s raised an eyebrow at the threat. He stared at his son for a minute, seeing the hard look in his burning red eyes. He was serious about this… Over a girl he had only met twice, the meeting day and then again today. And only a week had passed in between then and now. He wasn’t sure what to say, considering his son was never like this with any other woman he had encountered.   
  
“You like her that much?”  
  
Bloodshed’s expression softened a bit, though he retained his frown and a small glare. Still, his cheeks darkened a little, embarrassed by the question. Yes, he did like her that much. She was… just not like everyone else. She was special. She was just… perfect to him. And he couldn’t exactly tell anyone why.  
  
He only gave Bombrush a nod.  
  
The king huffed. “Very well… I’ll try not to scare her off then.”   
  
Bloodshed just bowed his head to the other, grateful that the other would try to restrain himself with his future wife.


	11. Chapter 11

Bombrush eventually returned to his castle after he and Bloodshed had given Soundwave and Thornstriker a full tour of the two-story manor. The king had offered to give Soundwave a tour of his castle, which she brutally declined. Bloodshed somewhat admired her for her harsh tone with the king, finding her both to be brave and smart for it.   
  
He was still angry with the older man. Ever since he had asked Thornstriker those questions, the princess had been distant and stuck close to her maid the entire time. Even during dinner, she pushed herself to be next to her maid. Not to mention that Soundwave seemed to be actively putting herself in between the princess and Bloodshed.   
  
Great. Now they thought him to be some sort of pervert like his stupid father.   
  
Now, he was showing them to their room. Considering the room was made for a giant, he and his father had it crafted so the two human women could live comfortably in it. He stepped over to a large door, which had a human-sized door carved into it. He rested his hand against it and looked down at the humans.  
  
“This will be your room,” he said. “I hope it isn’t a problem that you two will be sharing one… Unless you want separate rooms?”  
  
“No, this will be fine, thank you,” Thornstriker said, timidly. She looked to Soundwave to confirm her answer, who just nodded.  
  
Bloodshed nodded and gestured to the door on the right of him. “My room is just down the way… If you ever need anything, you can get me at anytime.”  
  
“Thank you,” Soundwave said, bowing to him. She opened the human door, but stopped to look at the princess. Then, in a soft voice, she asked, “Do you want to talk to him a bit longer?”  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and glanced up at the giant. He just stood there, patiently waiting for her to either tell him good night or say something else to him. She didn’t want to say absolutely nothing to him as a way to end the night… She had enjoyed her day with Bloodshed, despite Bombrush embarrassing her.   
  
She took a deep breath and looked to Soundwave, giving her a single nod. Soundwave turned away and closed the door behind her, leaving the two royals to stare at each other.   
  
Thornstriker sheepishly looked up at the prince, who seemed just as awkward as she did. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around the room as she stood before him. They both were unsure of what to say, each waiting for the other to start the conversation. They remained silent for a few moments, neither knowing what to do.  
  
Finally, the giant spoke.  
  
"Thornstriker... Do... Do you have everything you need? If... If you don't, I can send someone out in the morning to get it."  
  
"O-Oh... N-No, I... I believe I have everything I need... Thank you though."  
  
"... All right. Don't hesitate to tell me if you need something else."  
  
"Y-Yes... Thank you."  
  
Bloodshed swallowed as he tried to think of what else to say. Then he glanced down at his hand, realizing he was still holding her book. Clearing his throat, he said, "Um... About the book..."  
  
She blinked, looking up to see him holding the book he had given to her as a gift. "Oh... Oh yes, um... Could you bring it inside?"  
  
He nodded. As he opened the door, Thornstriker walked in first with him following behind her. They both saw Soundwave organizing the room, putting away their clothes and such in the human-sized drawers provided for them. She looked up at the prince for a few moments before returning to unpack the rest of their things.  
Bloodshed pointed to another door over to the right. “Your bathroom is there… Use it as you see fit.”  
  
“Th-Thank you,” Thornstriker said, taking a look around the room.   
  
It was a room made for a giant, but all the furniture inside was human-sized. And because the room was rather large for such furniture, there was even a little parlor set up over by the balcony door. It was very cute in how it was set up and she found it sweet that these accommodations were made for her and Soundwave.    
  
“Where would you like me to put this?”   
  
“O-Oh… Um…” She paused to look around the room. Then she looked over at the parlor area and figured that during the daytime, that would be the best place to read. “O-Over there would be just fine.”  
  
Bloodshed nodded, carefully stepping around the furniture and setting the book down by one of the chairs. She came up to him as he turned around, the girl giving him a sheepish smile.  
  
“Bloodshed…”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Um… Today…” She took a deep breath and started over. “Today was… fun.”   
  
He blinked, surprised by her words. Fun? She… had fun? Confused, he just remained silent. Besides, it looked like she had more to say.   
  
Clearing her throat, Thornstriker stood up straight and made sure she looked him in the eyes. “I… I was a bit scared at first… But both you and your father are very kind. Though he did enjoy teasing me a lot…”  
  
Bloodshed inwardly frowned at that, cursing that foolish king.  
  
“But, still, you were very kind to me and even showed me your collection. I enjoyed talking to you about literature as well. You’re very insightful… I enjoy spending time with you.” Slowly, she stretched out her hand to him. “Though it may not be one of love… I look forward to living with you. I know you will be a good husband. And I’ll do my best to be a good wife.”   
  
Bloodshed just stared at her, completely speechless. It was already day one… And she trusted him. She didn’t find him to be monstrous. Even after his father had made those inappropriate remarks earlier. A huge wave of relief came over him as he stared down at the human, allowing a small smile to form on his face.   
  
He kneeled down in front of her and, gently, took her petite hand in his. He bent down, kissing the delicate hand, making the girl blushed.  
  
“And I’ll do my best to be a good husband.”  
  
Soundwave just watched the two out of the corner of her eye. She knew Thornstriker meant her words innocently, but God only knew how the prince was taking it. But, if he took it in a different manner than what Thornstriker had meant, then she would do her best to make sure that he did not take advantage of her innocent heart. It was a promise she had to keep to both the queen and herself.   
  
Bloodshed glanced over at the grandfather clock in the room, seeing it was late. He let the girl’s hand go, slowly rising to his feet. Then he bowed to her and said, “It’s getting late. Sleep well, Thornstriker.”  
  
“O-Oh yes, you as well…” She curtseyed to him as he turned to walk out of the room.   
  
Bloodshed glanced at Soundwave as he passed her, who just curtseyed. But her eyes never left him, which made him a bit confused. Why was she looking at him with such… suspecting eyes? It was almost as if she didn’t trust him. But he had done nothing wrong… Unless she was thinking him to be like his father. Then he would see a reason.  
  
But he didn’t ask her and left, leaving the two women alone as he closed the door behind him.   
  
Soundwave and Thornstriker looked to each other for a few moments before the princess smiled. “I suppose I didn’t have anything to worry about.”  
  
The maid remained silent.  
  
“He’s such a gentleman, don’t you think?” Thornstriker asked.   
  
“Yes… but you need to be careful, Princess.”  
  
The girl blinked, looking to her maid with an obviously confused expression. “What do you mean?”  
  
Soundwave hesitated to tell her the truth. She didn’t want to say that she needed to be careful with her words because the giant could take them the wrong way and then take advantage of her. She did not want to frighten the other. But she had to give her some sort of warning.  
  
“I merely mean you need to be careful while in the giant’s land. You could be hurt because you’re a human.” Though vague, her advice would at least keep the princes warned of not only Bloodshed, but other giants as well.   
  
“O-Oh… Yes, I’ll be careful.”  
  
Soundwave nodded. “I’ll prepare your bath.”  
  
Thornstriker smiled. “Thank you.”  
  
The maid simply nodded and turned away, heading toward the other door in their room. This door was much smaller than the main one; only humans could enter this next room. When she opened it, she saw that the lavish bathroom was made only for humans. A lot of work went into this… Perhaps Bloodshed really did care for Thornstriker above a simply sexual level. While she wanted to hope for that, she knew better than to simply hope. Hope was childish. She could not hope. She had to stay alert.   
  
She had to protect Thornstriker, no matter what.


	12. Chapter 12

Bloodshed wiped the sweat from his brow. It was early in the morning and he was out in the backyard, chopping some trees for firewood. He supposed it was odd for a prince to be doing this kind of work, but it was how he got an idea of how hard his people worked. And he enjoyed being able to do some sort of physical activity outside the fighting ring.  
  
He threw down the axe again as he thought about the ring. While he knew how to use a weapon, a giant didn’t really need it when it came to fighting, especially when it came to fighting humans. They already overpowered them with their size and strength. Hell, if he wanted to, he could crush a man’s skull in his hand or rip a human in half. Not that he would. He, along with the other giants, just had the capability to do so.   
  
So, to keep his muscle and keep himself stronger than any other giant or human out there without the use of weapon, he went to the fighting ring. It was a violent setting, hand-to-hand combat, one person or team against another. The arena walls were stained with blood and it was always loud and rowdy there, whether it was in the arena or in the training room.   
  
Mainly, men fought each other. Occasionally though, a giantess would make her way into the ring and put up a great fight. Like his friend Nebula. God, that giantess was a strong one. She could take down giants twice her size. She may have looked like a woman, but she certainly didn’t act – or fight – like one.   
  
Of course, sometimes, if things got out of hand, people died. Not that it could be helped. It was a brutal arena, one he had been going to since Bombrush had told him he needed to train himself, which was about seven years ago. There, he learned to fight and defend himself – and others. And, honestly, he enjoyed going. He was treated as another warrior there, not so much like a prince. Besides, he liked it when some giants would underestimate his strength; he would quickly earn their respect when he wiped the floor with their faces.   
  
“GOOD MORNING, BLOODSHED~!”  
  
The voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up, seeing his friend Novabomb happily skipping toward him. He straightened up a bit, setting the axe down as the shorter man approached him.   
  
He had met Novabomb when they had fought against each other in the pits. At the time, Novabomb had been terribly scrawny and feeble looking, despite having a fair amount of strength to him. After Bloodshed defeated him, the boy had come right up to him and gave him a handshake, thanking the prince for putting up a good fight; apparently, he had had a lot of fun.  
Bloodshed just thought him to be some weird kid and thought that had been the last of him. But Novabomb continued to chat with him afterwards in the training room.   
  
At first, he had ignored him since most people who tried to get close to him were people hoping to improve their status. But Novabomb… he wasn’t like that. While he was a bit obnoxious and childish, Novabomb was genuinely a nice person, which surprised Bloodshed considering the life the other had lived.  
  
Both his parents died when he was just a young boy, landing himself in one of those poorly run orphanages. Once he entered adolescence, he was kicked out and lived on the streets. Apparently, the poor commoner started coming to the fighting ring in order to make himself stronger so he could defend himself out in the streets. That and training sessions providing free food and overnight shelter for the trainees.   
  
And, when Novabomb got closer to him, the commoner never asked Bloodshed for anything. Not food, not clothes, not money, not anything, which confused Bloodshed. When the prince finally confronted him about his intentions of getting close to him…  
  
He could still remember how the pale giant just looked at him for a few moments before that big, stupid grin came up on his face.  
  
_“Because I like you, dummy!”_  
  
Since then, Bloodshed trusted him with all his being and had gotten him a job as his “servant” at the castle. Not that he needed one… He just didn’t want Novabomb to live that kind of life anymore. And while the man never said anything, he knew the other was forever grateful.   
  
“What’re you doing here?” he asked once the other was close enough.  
  
“Well, duh – I’m your right hand man!” Novabomb said, smiling brightly as he stepped up to the prince. “And I wanted to meet this human bride of yours.”  
  
Bloodshed raised an eyebrow. “This early in the morning? She’s still asleep.”  
  
“Well, I wanted to see you too, Prince Muscles,” he chirped, playfully punching his arm. “You’ve been busy lately, so it’s been a while, yeah?”    
  
“I suppose.” He glanced up at the window to Thornstriker’s bedroom before giving a small huff and looking to the other. “I had to get things ready for her. I wanted to make sure she would be comfortable living here for the next half year.”  
  
Novabomb hummed, looking up to where Bloodshed just had. Then he turned back to him. “SO… She pretty?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Your soon-to-be wife. Is she pretty?”  
  
“… Yes.”  
  
“How pretty?”  
  
“… Very.”  
  
Novabomb smiled brightly at all the hesitating answers the man was giving. He was way too much fun to mess with.   
  
“You like her?”  
  
“… Yes…”  
  
“How much?”  
  
“That’s not your business.”  
  
The response only made Novabomb give one of the biggest and stupidest grins Bloodshed had ever seen from the other. “That much huh?”  
  
Bloodshed refused to answer this time, instead picking up the axe had he had dropped and going back to chopping wood. He hated how Novabomb just seemed to know what he was thinking… And how the giant just knew what to say to make him uncomfortable or flustered.   
  
“So, got any spare rooms for me?” Novabomb asked, smiling. “I mean, if you two get married and start making babies, I’ll be around a lot, you know. I might as well let her get used to me too.”  
  
“Don’t frighten her or I’ll kick you out,” he warned, not looking at him. “And yeah – there are plenty of rooms for you in the back upstairs.”  
  
Novabomb clapped his hands. “Yay! I’ll start moving my stuff in then!”  
  
“Shh!” Bloodshed growled harshly. “You’re too loud… They’re still trying to sleep.”   
  
“Oh. Sorry.” He glanced up at the window again before turning back to him. “Nebula says she’ll come by later in the afternoon. She wants to meet your future wife too.”  
  
“Hmm.”  
  
“Man, every girl in the kingdom is gonna be heartbroken over this marriage. Everyone wants to marry you, you know, since you’re so sexy and handsome and strong and everything… Or at least they would love to have sex with you.”  
  
Bloodshed rolled his eyes. He wasn’t being arrogant. He knew he was attractive and desired by many women in his kingdom. Even outside of it, he was known for his strength and attractiveness… Hell, his father was the same way. Every woman wanted that man too. Maybe it was genetics that made him attractive to other women. Pixela was a beautiful woman herself and Bloodshed wasn’t so ignorant that he wouldn’t admit his father was handsome… Maybe he just got lucky when it came to looks.  
  
Not that he cared. It just made getting women into his harem easier. Though, once he married, he would have no use for the harem anymore.  
  
He glanced up at the window where Thornstriker’s bedroom was. He wondered if she found him to be attractive. Many other women had, but… those women were not Thornstriker nor were they as pure and innocent as her. Could she even see him as somewhat sexually attractive? Or would she never be able to because she was so innocent, only sleeping with him when it was time for them to have children?    
  
He huffed. Well, if that was going to be the future case, he would bare with it. Besides, he didn’t need to have sex… He just liked it. But if Thornstriker would not make love to him unless it was to have children, then that was fine. He wouldn’t turn to any harem girls. He didn’t need anyone else but his wife. He had promised himself this when he was young. He would be faithful to her and look at no other woman.   
  
He turned back to his work and brought down the ax again, the wood spitting in half. He could only hope that his friends wouldn’t frighten his bride. It would only cause him more unnecessary problems.


	13. Chapter 13

Thornstriker sighed as she sat in the parlor, reading one of the books that Bloodshed had provided her with. When she had woken up with Soundwave to join him for breakfast, he had told her that his servant and trusted friend was coming here to live with them. He also mentioned that his other good friend of his would be coming to visit in the later afternoon.   
  
Soundwave had been a bit wary at first. She didn’t think that it would be wise to suddenly introduce Thornstriker to even more giants when she had only arrived yesterday. But Thornstriker reassured her that it would be all right since they were Bloodshed’s friends. Still, she was a bit nervous about meeting them. What if they didn’t like her because she was human? Or that they felt she didn’t suit their friend? She didn’t want to be hated…  
  
But she had to remain positive about this. She could not think that she would be hated when they didn’t even know her. For all she knew, they could like her immediately. Then again…  
  
She shook her head of such thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to her book and continued reading…  
  
…Only to have the door burst open with a blue-haired giant standing in the doorway.   
  
Thornstriker jumped, nearly dropping her book on the floor. She looked up at him with wide eyes, who just stared back at her. When he didn’t even blink as he continued to stare down at her, she slowly pushed back into corner of the giant chair she was sitting in. Who was this? Was this one of Bloodshed’s friends? If that was true… Why wasn’t Bloodshed with him? He said he would introduce her to his friends…  
  
Then a big grin appeared on the giant’s face.  
  
“Found you!” he cried out.   
  
He moved toward her, causing the girl to pale and press back more into the chair. Oh dear Lord – who was this?!  
  
“U-Um, who-”  
  
“Damn, you’re a lot smaller than I thought.” He moved closer to her, his hands stretching out. She held back a cry, terrified as to what he was going to do.   
  
But just as his hand was a foot from her body, a large dark hand clamped down hard around the blue-haired giant’s wrist. Both looked up, eyes widening to see Bloodshed panting hard, glaring murderously at the other giant. Thornstriker shivered in fright at the sight, never seeing Bloodshed look like that before.  
  
But, much to her surprise, the pale giant smiled. “That’s a scary face.”  
  
Bloodshed’s eyes narrowed as he pulled the giant away from Thornstriker, moving himself so that he was in between her and the smaller giant. Then he growled, “I thought I told you to wait until Nebula got here.”   
  
"But I wanted to meet her now~~~" he whined, surprising Thornstriker. This giant had to have been a grown man, yet... he was behaving much like a child. It reminded her a lot of Smokebomb, except her brother wasn't so hyper and cheery like this giant. "You're not being fair, Bloodshed."   
  
"And you're being stupid." He let go of his wrist and pushed the other back. "Just what were you thinking of doing?"   
  
"Getting a better look at your future wife. She's so tiny - like a doll! But a big doll... Maybe just a really small kid."   
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and blushed, looking down at her hands. Yes... She supposed she was small, even for a human. But to be called a doll... She wasn't sure if it was compliment or a teasing remark, so she remained silent.   
  
Bloodshed frowned at the statement. "Even if you think she looks like one, you don't get to treat her like one."   
  
"I wasn't..."  
  
"Then why were you about to grab her?"  
  
"I told you - I wanted a better look!"  
  
The prince buried his face into his hand, groaning in both embarrassment and irritation. God... Was this man always this stupid? Well... Yes, he was, Bloodshed wouldn't deny that. He knew Novabomb wasn't exactly "normal" in the mind. Still, he had told the other giant that he would introduce him to Thornstriker once Nebula got here! Could he not just be patient and wait for another hour?!  
  
Just as he was about to yell at the younger man, he heard footsteps to his left. He looked over, seeing Soundwave standing there, her eyes locked on Thornstriker. The giant glanced back at the princess, who looked a bit frightened as to what was going on. Oh shit...  
  
"Lady Thornstriker?" Soundwave said, alarmed. She rushed toward her princess, who was slowly getting off the chair, trembling slightly. "Lady Thornstriker, what's wrong? What happened?"  
  
"U-Um... I-I... Um..."   
  
Seeing that the girl was too shaken to give an answer, Soundwave immediately wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into her chest protectively. Then she turned to glare mercilessly at the two giants, moving herself between them and the girl.  
  
"What did you do?" she hissed, eyes narrowed at that.   
  
Bloodshed shifted a bit uncomfortably at the murderous glare. Despite being almost five feet taller than her, he felt almost intimidated by her glare. But before he could open his mouth to explain what had happened, Novabomb spoke first.  
  
"Wow, you're scary," the giant said, titling his head. "Nothing happened - I just wanted to say hi to your princess."  
  
Her glare turned to the other. "I don't know who you are and I don't know what right you think you have barging into a room unannounced or without knocking, but I will not tolerate it if it means you're hurting the princess."  
  
Novabomb's mouth fell open, shocked at the harsh tone. Geez, what was up with this woman? She was being pretty rude to someone she didn't even know. Folding his arms across his chest, he pouted, "I didn't hurt nobody. Don't be so over-dramatic."  
  
"You've obviously frightened her or else she wouldn't be shaking like this." She turned to look at the girl, giving her a soft expression as she stroked her hair and face, shushing her. "It's all right, Lady Thornstriker. I'm right here. It's all right."   
  
She only nodded, still trembling slightly at she looked up at the two giants.  
  
Bloodshed inwardly flinched at the frightened look. Great... Just when things looked to be going well, Novabomb had to frighten her on her second day here! Was she afraid of him now? Did she dislike him because of what his friend had just done? Damn it... He didn't want her to hate him. They were going to be married in six months and he had grown to like her...  
  
His gaze turned to Novabomb, glaring furiously at him. The blue-haired giant's eyes widened, realizing that perhaps he should have done something he shouldn’t have. Innocently holding up his hands, he knew it was time to make a hasty retreat.  
  
"Well, I best be on my way. See you guys around!"  
  
Before any of them could react, the younger giant bolted out of the parlor, closing the door behind him. Bloodshed almost chased after him, ready to beat him down for what he had done. But when he stole a glance from the two women in the room, he knew he needed to apologize first.  
  
Slowly, he swallowed and turned to face them. Seeing the dark glare on the maid's face, he bowed his head. "I'm sorry for what Novabomb was doing," he said sincerely to the princess. "He didn't mean to scare you or have any intentions to hurt you... He's just... a little strange."  
  
"Yes, that's blatantly obvious."  
  
Bloodshed cleared his throat at Soundwave's comment and continued. "Nova... He... He's very easily excited. He... He's a little emotionally unstable and tends to behave oddly, compared to most. He's not a bad person though. He doesn't really understand or follow most social boundaries... But he would never hurt anyone. I swear."   
  
Thornstriker said nothing, biting her bottom lip. While she had been a bit frightened... Novabomb didn't seem like a bad person.  
  
Soundwave, however, wasn't giving him any of her sympathy. "I don't care if he wouldn't hurt anyone. Why would you allow an emotionally unstable giant who also doesn't seem to have any knowledge on personal boundaries to be anywhere near my lady? If he's emotionally challenged, then he  _could_  accidentally hurt her if something goes wrong."   
  
"He's not a bad man," Bloodshed said, tensing a bit as she insulted his friend. "Yes, he may seem a little crazy, but he's not. He's... He's just hyperactive. And he's one of my best friends. I've known him for a long time... He wouldn't hurt anyone unless it's to defend himself. But that's any normal person."   
  
Soundwave opened her mouth to argue again, but Thornstriker stopped her. "Miss Soundwave, please... I-It's all right. I... He didn't hurt me... An-And I trust Bloodshed's judgment..."   
  
"Even if you can trust his judgment, it isn't safe for someone to just be able to barge in on you." She turned to Bloodshed. "What if it hadn't been your friend? What if it had been someone else, someone who wanted to hurt her? I'm beginning to question as to whether or not you actually care about her safety."  
  
Damn... She had a point there. While he did care, he supposed he was being careless... Thornstriker was not a giantess. She was a weak and fragile young human woman that would be powerless against a giant attack, even a human attack… He needed to be more aware of something like that.  
  
He huffed, bowing his head once more. "I'll see to it that something is done about the issue." Then he looked to Thornstriker. "If... If you would still allow it... I would like you - and Soundwave - to join me in the entertainment hall at four... My other friend Nebula should be here by then and I can properly introduce you to each other... if that's all right."  
  
"O-Oh... I-It's fine."  
  
He nodded. "I... I shall see you then." Then the prince quickly bowed and left the room, leaving the two women to stare at each other.  
  
Soundwave gave an exhausted huff once the giant closed the door behind him. She turned to the princess, giving her a stern look "Princess... I would prefer if you didn't meet with his friends."  
  
Thornstriker looked down at her feet. "But... Bloodshed wants-"  
  
"I don't care. I don't like his first friend. He's far too... strange. And even if he had no intentions of hurting you, he still could have if he had held you too tightly."  
  
"B-But... I want to meet them.. I... I want them to approve of me."  
  
Soundwave raised an eyebrow. Approve of her? Why on Earth was that important to the girl? "You don't need their approval."   
  
"But... They are obviously good friends of Bloodshed... I'm sure they want his happiness. So... So I want them to like me. I don't want them to think that I'm no good for him and will make him miserable. They know him well and know what he likes and dislikes... I want them to think I'll make him happy."  
  
Soundwave said nothing. Leave it to Thornstriker to try and please everyone… even people she didn’t even know. She was always thinking of others, hardly ever herself, which sometimes worried the maid. She didn’t want the girl getting hurt… And with these giants, that seemed far too likely.   
  
“Very well,” she said. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to convince Thornstriker to not go – she was surprisingly stubborn. “But you must remain by my side at all times.”  
  
“You don’t need to–”  
  
“I wish to.” She didn’t trust Bloodshed or his friends after what just happened. Thornstriker as incredibly defenseless against these giants… She couldn’t do much herself as a human woman, but she wouldn’t surrender without a fight.   
  
“If… If that’s what you wish…” But Thornstriker didn’t say anymore, looking down at her feet. Now she could only hope things would go well.


	14. Chapter 14

Novabomb rubbed his arm, pursing his lips at the other giant in the chair next to him. “My arm hurts.”  
  
Bloodshed just continued to read over some military letters, not even looking at the other. “Just be grateful I didn’t hit your face.”  
  
“It’s gonna turn into a big ugly bruise.”  
  
“You act as if you did nothing to deserve it.”  
  
Novabomb just smiled and leaned back into his chair, glancing at the clock. He was excited to officially meet Thornstriker. And he was eager to see the human’s reaction to Nebula. They were exact opposites of each other. The human was all small and wore “proper princess attire” and was all neat and elegant while Nebula…  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the doors opening to the room. Both Bloodshed and Novabomb looked up to see a servant standing there, bowing to the prince before raising his head. “I’m sorry to interrupt your Highness, but Lady Nebula has arrived.”  
  
“Have her come here.” He knew better to say than “escort her here.” Nebula would be insulted if she felt that he believed she needed anyone to escort her.   
  
The servant bowed and left, leaving Bloodshed to look at Novabomb, who was just smiling brightly. He rolled his eyes and fixed his letters, stacking them neatly before putting them off to the side on the end table next to his chair.    
  
It wasn’t a long wait when the doors opened again. They both looked up when they saw Nebula standing there, looking rather bored. Bloodshed inwardly groaned at her attire. He had asked her to wear a dress to make Thornstriker feel more comfortable, but he should have guessed that Nebula would wear something… risqué by societal standards. Well, he supposed she wanted to be her. She did do as he had asked by wearing a dark purple dress… It was just incredibly tight around waist area and was low cut, her sheer, lace clothes coming up past her elbows with the long skirt hugging her hips before flowing down to the ground. Her hair was down, completely wild and full… and truthfully utterly sexy.   
  
Nebula noticed his rather sour look and frowned, putting her hands on her hips. “What? I wore a dress like you asked.”  
  
“I guess…”  
  
“Whatever. You said it was better than me wearing my regular clothes.” She moved over to the loveseat across from the two giants, flopping herself on it. “So I wore a dress, just like you asked.”  
  
“Yeah, but you look like one of them shameless brothel girls,” Novabomb chuckled.  
  
Nebula’s eyes narrowed at the other. “Why should they be ashamed of what they have? I have large breasts, they have large breasts – if I wish to display them, I should be able to. The only people who should be ashamed are the men who disrespect us for not being ‘modest’ but are secretly enjoying the sight and the women who think they’re superior because they have no individuality of their own and cower behind the stupid and sexist ideals men set for them.”   
  
Bloodshed buried his face into his hand, shaking his head. Great… Now Novabomb stepped on a landmine with her. Again. Christ, they both knew that she was a very… liberal giantess. She was not reserved or modest, like women were supposed to be. Most of the “noblemen” were turned off by her crude, almost “manly” behavior. Or so they would pretend to be, eyeing her breasts whenever they had the chance.   
  
But he liked how she wasn’t afraid to say what she thought. She didn’t want to be treated like “a lady.” She wanted to be treated like a person. And if she had a problem with you, she didn’t gossip about you. She went straight up to you and told you what she didn’t like about you. And if you decided to resort to violence with her… God be with you because she was one strong giantess and she had the strength to beat the crap out of you.    
  
Because of that, no one really confronted Nebula. She was a strong and independent duchess – that was undeniable. Some may have said things behind her back, but they were cowards and were nothing compared to her. Bloodshed knew he wasn’t the only one who felt this way.   
  
“Yeah, we get it,” Bloodshed muttered, taking his hand from his face and leaning back in his chair. “You’re not bending to the ways of society.”  
  
“Damn straight.”   
  
Novabomb chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
Nebula narrowed her eyes at him. “I do not want be hearing any criticism from  _you_ , especially since you defy the norms, considering who you’re attracted to.”  
  
“Oh, calm down,” the blue-haired giant pouted, sticking out his tongue. “I wasn’t judging! It’s just fun to imagine people try to go against you.”   
  
Bloodshed rolled his eyes, watching the two bicker back and forth like children. Sometimes they could be act like adults, but that seemed pretty rare sometimes… He felt more like an older brother with them than a friend half the time, breaking up their stupid quarrelling and whatnot.   
  
“So, Bloodshed.”  
  
The prince turned to look at the giantess.  
  
“Where’s your future wife?”  
  
“On her way,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Try not to do what Nova did by reaching to grab her. Because of him, her maid doesn’t trust me very much.”  
  
Nebula gave the other giant a dirty look. “You’re always fucking things up, you know?”  
  
He just shrugged.  
  
She turned her attention back to the prince. “So is that why you wanted me to dress more like a ‘lady?’”  
  
Bloodshed nodded.   
  
Just then, there was another knock at the door. The three giants looked over to see the servant from before had opened the door, this time the two human women living in his house entering the room. Bloodshed slowly rose to his feet, shooting a glare at Novabomb to remain seated. The blue-haired giant just held up his hands and smiled.   
  
Seeing that he wasn’t going to get up, Bloodshed relaxed his face and looked back to the women. He mentally cursed when Soundwave was standing in front of Thornstriker, as if she was protecting her from them. He wanted to kill Novabomb… Maybe he should have punched him in the face to begin with.  
  
Of course, Thornstriker had stepped around her maid, though Soundwave made sure she stayed in arm’s length of her. Bloodshed kneeled down in front of her and bowed his head. “Thank you for coming… I honestly didn’t think you would.”  
  
“N-No… No, I-I said I would.” She glanced behind him, seeing Novabomb smiling brightly at her. She gave a small, timid smile in return, looking over at the giantess, who was reclining on the loveseat.    
  
She couldn’t help but to stare at her as the giantess sat up, moving her hair out of her face. She was… different. Her dark skin – not as dark as Bloodshed’s, but still dark – was just simply beautiful and smooth and well-kept… And she showed so much of it. A low cut dark purple dress and no sleeves, only black lace gloves that seemed to hug her rather provocative hourglass figure…  
  
It was… different. She briefly wondered if giants just had a different form of dress attire than humans did. If a human woman walked around wearing something like that, she would be insulted both secretly and directly. Personally, Thornstriker never judged someone based off what they wore or their overall appearance… There were plenty of wonderful people out there who didn’t dress the way they were supposed to.   
  
She glanced at her maid, who had simply looked at Nebula before keeping her gaze on Thornstriker and the giant in front of her. Right… Soundwave didn’t care what people wore. That never bothered her. She may have been cautious toward others, but what they wore was never a factor for her.   
  
Finally, she looked back at the prince when he slowly rose to his feet. He gestured for her and Soundwave to sit on a low, but large chair that both of them could fit on comfortably. The two women allowed Bloodshed to walk them to their seats and once they were comfortably seated, Bloodshed sat back down in his chair.   
  
Nebula looked over the two humans, holding back a smirk. Well… He was right about his future bride. She was incredibly small. Even for a human. She was pretty though… Naïve looking, but pretty. And her maid was pretty attractive as well too. Though she looked much smarter than her princess.  
  
“Thank you for coming,” Bloodshed said to the two humans. “I… I would like to apologize again about  _before_ …” His head turned to the other male giant in the room and narrowed his eyes, who just smiled innocently. He huffed and turned back to the two.   
  
Thornstriker gave him a reassuring smile. “Please, it’s quite all right, what happened…” She ignored the small glare her maid gave her. “I-It’s not that big of an issue.”   
  
Novabomb stuck his tongue out at the prince. “See?! She wasn’t even bothered by it!” But when Bloodshed sent him another glare – this one with the ability to kill – Novabomb fell into silence, though he continued to smile anyway.   
  
The prince gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “Anyway…” He gestured to Novabomb. “This is Novabomb. I’ve known him since I was fifteen… We met during our training days.”   
  
He was  _not_  about to mention where those training days had taken place and he had warned both his friends to not mention it either. He didn’t want the princess to think he was some violent thug.   
  
Then he gestured to the giantess. “This is Nebula… I’ve known her since I was a kid. She’s the Duchess of Arkland.”   
  
Nebula gave an annoyed face. “Really? You had to tell them I was a duchess?”  
  
“I can’t get rid of your title.”  
  
The giantess rolled her eyes and looked to the two women. “Just call me Nebula. None of that ‘Lady’ and ‘Madam’ bullshit, all right?”  
  
“ _Nebula._ ”  
  
Once more, she rolled her eyes and gave a small shrug. Bloodshed could sound as angry as he wanted to. They both knew he wouldn’t do anything. At least not while these women were sitting here in front of them. He needed to appear like he was some refined and kind gentleman…   
  
Well, she supposed Bloodshed was like that sometimes. That didn't change the fact though that he could be a complete monster down in the fighting arena. She had seen the man break some necks before... And while she saw it as something impressive, the two humans before them would probably think Bloodshed - and her and Novabomb as well - to be barbaric.  
  
She looked to the two women, leaning back in her seat. "So," she said. "Now that you know us, we wanna know you. So... who are you?"  
  
Soundwave felt her hands twitch at this giantess's disrespectful tone. It was one think to speak to her like that, but to Thornstriker as well? It was just unacceptable. But, for Thornstriker's sake, she remained silent and glanced at the girl, who seemed to be trying to recover from the response.  
  
Still, Thornstriker gave a gentle smile and said, "My name is Thornstriker. And this in my maid, Soundwave. It's very nice to meet you."   
  
"Likewise." Nebula eyed Soundwave for a few moments, who seemed to be looking over her as well. Despite her apparel being rather conservative, she could clearly see that the maid had some nice assets to her... Certainly more than Thornstriker, though the girl was pretty easy on the eyes. Still, more dogs were probably howling at Soundwave than Thornstriker, only because Soundwave had more of what men desired in the female body.  
  
Which reminded her of the king and his tastes. Soundwave definitely had what Bombrush wanted... Nice bosom, sexy face, gorgeous hair, but still completely elegant in how she presented herself. Knowing the king, he probably attempted to woo the woman.  
  
"So how's your stay been?" she asked.   
  
"Oh, it's been fine. Prince Bloodshed is very kind. And we met King Bombrush yesterday as well."  
  
"Huh. And what did you think of the king?"   
  
Nebula had to hold back a smirk when she saw Soundwave tense at the question and Thornstriker's cheeks redden a bit. She should have figured that man had been his flirtatious self. Hell, when she had become an adult, Bombrush had even been flirty with her. And since she found him attractive, she had flirted back, though neither of them had an interest in sleeping together. Bloodshed was horrified enough with their flirting. There was just a line that neither her nor the king was going to cross, unless they wanted to completely ruin their relationship with the prince.   
  
She looked over Soundwave, who seemed to be holding back with her emotions on the subject. So... She didn't like the king. Well, she supposed that not everyone did... Though it was pretty rare for a woman to dislike Bombrush. Actually, when she thought about it, no woman really disliked him. Soundwave seemed to be the first... She must have had a disdain for flirtatious behavior. Or men. Or both. But only Soundwave really knew.   
  
"H-He was... very kind," Thornstriker stammered, remembering how Bombrush had teased her about the romance novel. God, she didn't think she was ever going to get over that.   
  
"Yeah," Novabomb added, smiling brightly as he looked at the two humans. "Women usually say he's pretty kind, especially in the bed-"  
  
*CRASH*  
  
The whole room jumped as a huge stack of papers and some pens fell to the floor, scattering everywhere in a sea of parchment and huge envelopes.  
  
As the mess finally stopped spreading, the giants and the humans turned to the only one at the table, whose hand was gripping the side of the table where the papers had originally been stacked. His arms seemed to be shaking and his face looked frozen. Bloodshed seemed to be holding back a scream as his lips were pressed tightly together.  
  
Only Thornstriker seemed to be able to respond to the very tense prince. "B-Bloodshed, are you all right?"  
  
"...I'm fine," he let out in a low and very controlled voice. "My arm fell asleep. Startled me for a moment. I apologize for the scare."  
  
Moving his seat back and standing up suddenly, his face still tight and tense, he bent down to start picking up the papers even though two giant servants had rushed in and had already started gather up the scattered pieces.  
  
"Bring these to the library." He instructed the servants who took the papers in their hands and some off the table and left. Bloodshed grabbed some of the remaining papers before he turned to the other giant. "Nova, help bring me bring these to the library."  
  
"What~~~?" the blue-haired giant whined. "The servants can do that. I wanna talk to the prin-"  
  
"Nova."  
  
The prince looked down at his friend, his red eyes fierce almost as if they were on fire.  
  
"Help."  
  
Novabomb cringed at the look he was given. "…Okay..."  
  
Grabbing the rest of the papers, he ran out of room with the Prince stalking after him, leaving the three women in the entertainment hall. Of course, Novabomb didn't get very far when Bloodshed suddenly grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him into the wall.   
  
"Nova, you're really making me want to break your teeth," he snarled as he kept the man's face pressed into the wall.   
  
"I-It was just a little joke!" he cried, arms flailing a bit. "I didn't mean nothing by it!"  
  
"Bombrush already messed things up for me. She's only been here one day and now you're adding to Bombrush's mess."  
  
"I was just trying to lighten up the mood-"  
  
"You're going about it the wrong way!" he growled. He gripped the man's neck a little tighter, who let out a small pained noise. But Bloodshed just ignored him, his head spinning with rage.   
  
Novabomb wasn't sure what to do at this point. He knew Bloodshed seemed to like this princess a lot, but geez, he was overreacting! It was just a harmless joke...    
  
"Do  _not_  ruin this for me, Nova. I don't want her to hate being with me. I want her to enjoy being here. I forced her into this by choosing her to be my wife. She  _never_  had a say in this... I don't want her to hate this place or me. Do you understand?"  
  
"Come on," Novabomb chuckled, though grunted when his face was pushed more into the wall. "A little joke like that isn't going to hurt her. Or you. You're overreacting."  
  
Bloodshed finally let him go, only to bury his face in the hand that had been holding Novabomb against the wall and groan into it. "Nova, I know you're a little strange, so you don't know how first impressions work, but please - do  _not_  make me out to be some sort of lecherous pervert."  
  
"What? You don't wanna follow the phrase, 'Like father, like son?'"  
  
Bloodshed put down his hand to glare at him, seeing Novabomb smiling brightly. Furious, he reached for the man’s shirt and yanked him up to be at equal level with the man and growled out, “If you say another word about  _anything_  sexual to her, Nova, I will  _kill_  you.”   
  
He held up his hands and gave small smile. As much as he liked to mess with Bloodshed, he knew the man had a line. And it seemed that anything do to with this human could potentially lead him to crossing that line. He didn’t want to cross and end up dead on the side of the road somewhere. “Yes, sir.”  
  
Giving him a hard glare for another few moments, he let him go, roughly shoving him back against the wall. Novabomb gave a small groan, rubbing his shoulders as Bloodshed walked away toward the library. The smaller giant followed, still feeling a kink in his neck.   
  
Damn, that would definitely hurt in the morning.


	15. Chapter 15

When the two giants returned to the entertainment hall, they were surprised to see that only Soundwave was in the hall. When Bloodshed asked where the other two had went, the maid only said that Nebula wanted to talk to Thornstriker privately and her lady had told her to wait here.  
  
Immediately an overwhelming sense of dread came over him. Nebula was like her father. Except unlike her father, she wouldn’t stop her sexual conversations with just a simple glare. And he could only imagine what Nebula was saying to the girl.  
  
After he ordered Novabomb to wait there with Soundwave, he searched around the house for the two missing women. He was getting more and more on edge when he couldn’t find them. Shit, had Nebula taken her somewhere? He prayed that the giantess wasn’t harassing her… She could be almost as bad as his father.    
  
As he searched upstairs, he could hear soft voices coming from one of the backrooms. One of them he recognized as Nebula’s when she gave a chuckle. He frowned as he approached the door, turning the knob and pushing it open.  
  
And his eyes widened at the sight of a nearly half-naked Thornstriker, her bare back presented to her as she stood in front of a mirror, letting Nebula tightly but gently pull the strings on the back of a dress that wasn't the one she was wearing before.  
  
At the sound of the door being opened, Bloodshed only had a brief glimpse of his fiancée’s white and smooth back before the two turned to him. Thornstriker's eyes widened and she blushed brightly, turning away from the giant immediately as she attempted to hide herself from him. Nebula just gave a smug look, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"What? Have princes never heard of knock-"  
  
Bloodshed immediately stepped back and slammed the door behind him. He fell back against it, moving a hand up to cover his face, which had turned bright red. Dear God, he had never seen much of Thornstriker's naked skin other than her face, neck, and her hands... And now he just saw that gorgeous pale back of hers that looked incredibly smooth...   
  
He swallowed, his cheeks turning redder as he thought about it. Lord Almighty, what was he doing? He had only known the young woman for a few days and the sight of some of her bare skin was already arousing him! He hadn't chosen her for looks! He hadn't chosen her to be his bedding partner! He chose Thornstriker because he could actually talk to her normally! It wasn't right to be thinking about her sexually! At least, not until their wedding night. Or afterwards...   
  
God, what was wrong with him?!  
  
Before he could fret about it any longer, the door opened a bit, nearly throwing him back. He was able to catch himself and sit up.  
  
"Come on in, Peeping Tom."   
  
Holding back a growl, the prince straightened himself up as the giantess retreated back into the room. He followed after her only for his eyes to widen again at the sight he had glimpsed before.  
  
Thornstriker was no longer in her more practical dress from before. She had somehow been fitted into a rather elaborate green dress that was not as revealing as Nebula's, but more so than Thornstriker's current wardrobe. Bloodshed wasn't sure where it had come from until he saw a few other ones lying on the table in the room.  
  
Oh right... a traveling dance theater had come through their kingdom a while ago when Bombrush had been lifting the ban on trade and travel with humans in their kingdom. They had done a few shows for the giant population's entertainment before the king had heard of it and asked for a show at the castle. It had been a rather... spectacular show, especially the dresses that most of the women wore. It was a something that giants had rarely seen, let alone in a style so sexualized as this trope's dancers.  
  
The prince remembered the king flirting (and possibly doing more) with a few of the dancers, but he had only found it visually pleasing. He had turned down offers of 'personal' dances from some of the women. They had left afterwards, but they had left a couple of their dresses behind.  
  
Bombrush had told him that he had paid the trope for a few of their dresses so that it could be studied and developed for giantesses who wanted to wear the style. Bloodshed figured that he had probably been given the dresses as 'appreciations' from the girls he had entertained that night.  
  
But now... seeing this wild and scandalous dress on his innocent bride-to-be... Bloodshed thought he felt his face warming up again.  
  
It showed much of her neck, arms, and shoulder area, her white skin up to a few inches above her flat chest line muted against the wild and dazzling green of the dress. It must have been tied several times for it barely hugged her girly curves. And it ended to just below her knees, her legs bare because of the lack of boots that the trope women wore when they danced.  
  
Thornstriker gripped the dress skirt tightly, looking down at her bare feet. Though it wasn’t nearly as revealing as some of the other dresses, this was not something she was used to wearing... It showed so much skin. And Nebula had her try on other dresses, but they didn't exactly fit well... She didn't have the curves for them.  
  
She wasn't exactly sure why she was wearing this, but she was embarrassed by it. Still... Nebula had asked her to come upstairs and try on these clothes. She said that she needed to "loosen up" a bit when it came to her clothing, though she wasn't exactly sure what she had meant by that... But wearing this dress, she felt a little naked and exposed...  
  
And now her fiancé was standing right in front of her, staring down at her with wide eyes. She moved her arms to hug herself tightly, looking down and trying to avoid his intense stare. Did he not like it? Did he think she looked stupid or ridiculous or something? Maybe that was why he kept staring...  
  
"Bloodshed, you need to get some more dresses for her or something, because these don't fit well."  
  
Both the prince and princess looked up at the duchess. She was holding up an even more risqué dress, addressing Bloodshed rather than both him and the human girl. "I wanted her to wear this, but it didn't fit."   
  
Bloodshed said nothing, eyes narrowed at her.   
  
She stepped over to the human girl, moving her hands around her, but never touching her. "She doesn't have any breasts-" she moved her hands in front of the girl's bosom, causing Thornstriker to blush "-and she hardly has any hips." She moved her hands over Thornstriker's hips to map out what she meant. "This girl doesn't have any curves, so none of these dresses will fit."  
  
"Nebula-"  
  
Then the giantess looked down at the princess, who was bright red and still hugging herself. "Seriously, you have, like, no boobs at all. Did you not drink enough milk or something when you were younger?"  
  
"Um, I-"  
  
"You said you had sisters, right?"  
  
"Well, yes, but-"  
  
"What about them? Are they small like you? Or do they actually have some good meat on their bones?"  
  
"I-I supposed they do-"  
  
"So you're the odd one out with your small chest and butt?"  
  
"I-I, um, well I-"  
  
"Sad, but I gotta say, you have some very nice features. Perhaps we could use that to bring out your character more than this sort of dress."  
  
"I don't-"  
  
"Maybe the dress could play with your girly features... you look much younger than your age, so maybe something more-"  
  
Before she could reach out to lift up Thornstriker's face more, Bloodshed stepped in between them, putting himself between the duchess and his fiancée.  
  
"Bloodshed-!"  
  
"Nebula. Stop. Now."  
  
It was taking everything in the giant's power to keep his voice low and steady. He had wanted to yell at the giantess; he had just had this discussion with Novabomb and now Nebula was doing it to the princess! He had thought her to be the more responsible one of his friends, but she was behaving even worse than Novabomb had!  
  
And unlike Novabomb, she wasn't going to back down so easily.  
  
She put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "I'm not doing anything wrong, you know. I'm just trying to get her to not be so conservative and tense around her."  
  
"Nebula. Just don't, all right?"  
  
She rolled her eyes before looking down at the princess. "As nice of a guy he can be, he's also a real hard-ass sometimes. And sure, he can be a gentleman and all, but once you get into bed with him, he'll definitely-"  
  
" _Nebula,_ " he snarled harshly, hands balling up into fists. While he was doing everything in his power to not just kill the duchess, he couldn't stop his voice from rising in anger. "One more word and I'll throw you out of here."  
  
The duchess didn't seem to care that the prince was getting angry. In fact, she just folded her arms across her chest as a smug look crawled on her face, looking back at the taller giant. "I  _dare_  you, Bloodshed. I dare you to put your hands on me. Go ahead - touch me and watch what happens."  
  
"We both know I'm  _much_  stronger than you."   
  
Sure, Nebula could - and had - take him on in a fight, but Bloodshed could steal beat the crap out of her if he really wanted to. He could still remember the first time he had fought the giantess. He had been surprised by her strength and ability in combat, but after a good challenge, he was able to defeat her.   
  
Other giants weren't so fortunate though. Many had gotten their egos painfully bruised and sometimes destroyed when Nebula would defeat them in battle. She had killed someone once in the arena, if his memory served him right. Nebula was certainly a force to be reckoned with, but again - he could fight her. And kill her, but it wasn't like it would ever come to that.   
  
"Who says you should be worried about me beating you?" Nebula titled her head a bit to gesture where Thornstriker was standing.  
  
Bloodshed blinked and looked over, eyes widening when he saw the princess glancing back and forth between him and the giantess. She was hugging herself tightly, trembling slightly as she seemed at a complete loss at what to do. Oh shit, this wasn't what he wanted! God, he would murder his friends! They were completely ruining this for him by bringing out his violent temper! And now he was scaring her because of it...  
  
Nebula chuckled, shaking her head. "Just take a breather, you'll be fine."  
  
"Nebula, get out."  
  
"Of the house?"  
  
"Of the room."  
  
The duchess huffed and rolled her eyes. She looked down at the princess, who just seemed scared and confused as she looked back up at her. Nebula just gave a devious smile and said, "Let's play dress-up another time. Maybe next time at my place - I got some nice clothes for you."  
  
Thornstriker said nothing.  
  
Then the duchess gave a small wave and headed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Now that she was gone, Bloodshed felt less angry and now more shameful as he heard Thornstriker's nervous breathing in the emptiness of the room.  
  
He wasn't sure if he could face her. God, he had acted like a complete fool today. He had only wished to properly introduce her to his friends and he messed it up. Damn it, he should have kept them away from her until Thornstriker was more comfortable with him and the other giants. Now she was probably terrified of giants... Or at least thought them to be invasive freaks.   
  
But they weren't like that! It was just the people he knew that were like that! Shit, why couldn't he have a normal parent and normal friends? Why did they have to be like this?! Or why couldn't they at least contain themselves around the princess for just one fucking day...?  
  
He sat down on the bed in the room across from the chair Thornstriker was standing on. She flinched a bit when he had moved so suddenly, the man grunting as he sat down and buried his face into his hand.   
  
"B-Blood-?"  
  
"I... I'm sorry about Nebula...God, I hope she didn't force you to wear that dress."  
  
Thornstriker played with the edge of her dress. Nebula had only talked with her about Bloodshed at first when she had taken her away from the entertainment hall to talk in private. But after she had told the giantess how nice Bloodshed had been to her and all, she had turned the conversation about how to impress the prince. It had been a little awkward at first, but when Nebula brought her into the room and showed her those… rather risqué dresses, the princess had turned bright red at the suggestion.  
  
She hadn't been forced to wear it... Nebula said that Bloodshed liked the dresses that a traveling dancing trope had worn a few years back and that they had kept some as souvenirs. And she wanted to make the prince happy. He had done so much for her already to make her stay here as nice as possible. Wearing a different dress shouldn't have been too bad...  
  
But now Thornstriker felt guilty. Bloodshed didn't seem to like it. And now he had gotten angry at Nebula. She knew he had been a bit angry with Novabomb, but seeing him arguing with the duchess made her want to curl up into a ball and cry. She hadn't wanted to make him angry... Not when he was doing so much just to make sure she was comfortable and happy here. She felt stupid and childish, thinking she was doing something to please him when she was just making things hard for him.  
  
"Sh-She didn't..."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
Thornstriker nodded earnestly.   
  
Bloodshed huffed, rubbing his eyes before he removed his hand from his face. "Still... I'm sorry my friends are acting like this. They're not bad guys, they're just... stupid."  
  
"I-I thought that they were very nice," Thornstriker mumbled, still playing with the dress.   
  
"You don't have to lie."  
  
"I-I'm not," she insisted sheepishly. "Novabomb... as you said, is easily excited and Nebula was just trying to... help me a bit." She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her feet. She might as well tell him why Nebula had brought her up here to begin with, considering it was for him. "N-Nebula... She said that you... you liked this sort of dressing."  
  
"She said  _what?_ " he demanded, almost baffled by the confession. That fucking bitch... He was going kill her once he got his hands on her!  
  
"Sh-She said you liked this dressing," she repeated, flinching back a bit at his tense tone. "She... She said that you liked how the dancers looked in these and… and I want to make you happy too, so I thought that by wearing this, it would make you happy... And Nebula said it would, in more ways than one, though I'm not sure what she meant by that..."  
  
Bloodshed groaned, burying his face back into both of his hands. He thanked God that Thornstriker was so damn naive and innocent, but he prayed to Him that He would give him the strength to not go out that instant to find Nebula and strangle her. But damn did he want to…  
  
Hearing groan made Thornstriker flinch back. So she  _had_  done something wrong… Her face flushed in humiliation, biting her bottom lip as she tried not to cry. She had just wanted to repay him and instead, she just made him upset. Why couldn’t she do anything right?!  
  
“I… I’m sorry,” Thornstriker murmured softly, holding back her tears. “I didn’t mean to-”  
  
“Don’t apologize,” he said gruffly, rubbing his eyes. God, he needed to calm down for a moment and breathe. He didn’t want to say anything unnecessary. This day had already been ruined enough and he didn’t want to make it worse. “Just… change back.”  
  
Thornstriker hung her head in shame. She had angered him. She had made him upset… annoyed him… She hadn’t meant to repay his kindness by irritating him. She just wanted to make him happy, to thank him for how considerate and nice he was being to her… Before she realized it, she had tears starting to trickle down her face, hiccupping slightly as she tried to control herself.   
  
Bloodshed’s head snapped up when he suddenly heard the girl hiccup. His eyes widened in horror when he saw that she was starting to cry, bringing up her hands to bury her face into them as she trembled a bit.  
  
Oh shit, what had he done?!  
  
He quickly moved over to the girl, kneeling down in front of the chair. Shit, he had made her cry! This was the  _very last_  thing he _ever_  wanted to do! Panicking, he stretched out his hands to try and comfort her, but stopped when he remembered just how big he was compared to her. Instead of drawing them back, they just remained stiff and frozen in the air, twitching as he was unsure what to do with them.  
  
Thornstriker just cried softly into her hands. She felt like a fool. Perhaps she was one. She didn’t even know how to show this man how much she appreciated his kindness! And she had thought that this would work since Nebula had been the one to suggest it… Instead, it had disgusted him and made him angry… She was so stupid.   
  
"I-I'm sorry...!" she sobbed. "I-I wasn't trying to make you angry...!"  
  
What?! Mad at her?! She didn't even do anything wrong! "N-No, Thornstriker, I'm not-"  
  
"I-I just...! I-I wanted to f-follow N-Nebula's advice...! And...! And...!" She desperately tried to wipe her away her tears as she continued to force herself to talk. "Sh-She said...! Y-You'd like this...! I-I was o-only tr-trying to sh-sh-show how thankful I am...! I-I'm sorry...! I'm really sorry!"   
  
Bloodshed just stared at the young girl, mouth falling slightly agape. Thornstriker... had worn this to make him happy? She had worn it as a way of thanking him? Though Nebula had given her the idea... He had been certain that the duchess had forced the princess into these dresses. As it turned out, Thornstriker had decided to try them on with her own free will.   
  
Hearing her cry again, he quickly snapped out of his shocked state to try and find the right words to get her to calm down. "Thornstriker, please, don't cry," he said gently. He carefully moved his hands away from her, moving one to grab a handkerchief from his pocket. "I-I'm not mad at you or upset by anything... So don't cry."   
  
She sobbed a bit, moving her head up to look at him. She gasped when a large handkerchief gently touched her cheeks, dapping at the fallen tears. He just continued to dap at them, gently wiping them away.  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly as he wiped away the last of her tears. "I thought... Nebula had forced you to dress this way. Guess I was wrong..." Then he huffed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry I made you misunderstand and cry. I... appreciate what you were trying to do for me, but... I don't want you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable."  
  
"B-But you-"  
  
He gave a soft laugh. "I like it when you wear your clothes... They suit you. They look... nice."  
  
Thornstriker blushed brightly at the statement, looking down at the dress she was wearing. While it was a lot more revealing than she was used to... She didn't hate it. In fact, the dress was actually quite comfortable. The fabric wasn't itchy and rough against her skin. It was actually quite soft.  
  
"I... I don't hate this," she murmured, picking up a bit of the fabric. "I... I do like the fabric."  
  
"Ahh..." Bloodshed pursed his lips. Well, the dress was nice, even if it was a bit risqué. Any woman would think it okay except for the few obvious features it held.  
  
"I-I mean, the d-dress isn't something I would wear all the time! But its... the fabric feels nice."  
  
There was a brief and flustered pause.  
  
"Well, t-that's good." Bloodshed desperately tried to think of something to save the conversation. "I-If you want, I can... well, I can get the fabric pretty easily. Our human seamstresses could make you a dress out of it, if you'd like."  
  
"O-Oh no... No." Thornstriker cleared her throat, trying to keep her cheeks from turning red. "I-It's all right... You... You've done enough. I couldn't ask you for more-"  
  
"You didn't ask; I offered," he pointed out.   
  
"Y-You've already given me a lot, so-"  
  
"I don't mind giving you things," he insisted. "I mean... isn't it a husband's job to spoil his wife?" He honestly had no clue as to whether or not that was true, but he had to say something. Besides, he wanted to do this for her. He wasn't forcing himself. He... genuinely liked doing things for her. Especially if it meant he could see her smile.  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip. She… supposed he had a point. She knew her father spoiled her mother. Many of her personal items were gifts from the king. And Charlotte had said that after they had married, Ultra Magnus showered her with everything she could ever desire… Though a lot of times, like with Bloodshed, the gifts were unexpected and done out of the king’s kindness.   
  
And Charlotte loved them all.   
  
Perhaps she should do the same and accept the gifts as well… Even though it was incredibly embarrassing. Still, Bloodshed meant well, much like her father with her mother. Giving a soft breath, she murmured, “Al-All right…”  
  
His eyes widened slightly. “So you’ll let me?”  
  
She nodded, blushing. “Y-Yes… if you… really wish to, I… I don’t mind…”   
  
Bloodshed gave a small smile. She was really cute when she blushed like that. He had never met a girl like her. He was used to much bolder women… But he liked how Thornstriker was. She was cute, modest, shy, sweet… He could probably go on for a while on what he liked about her. And that wasn’t even counting her physical appearance that he felt so attracted to.   
  
Clearing his throat, he said, “Very well. I’ll have a dress made for you. Do you have a preferred color?”  
  
She looked down at the dress she was currently wearing now to show him that the forest green she was wearing was her favorite.   
  
He understood and nodded. “Come on. You can change back into you normal clothes and then we can head back downstairs… I’m sure your maid is worried about you.”  
  
Thornstriker laughed once. “Yes… I’m certain she is.”  
  
The giant chuckled, though he turned around to give the young woman her privacy as she changed out of the dancer’s dress and back into her normal gown. He thought about waiting outside, but seeing that she didn't ask him to leave, he decided to just remain where he was and waited for his wife-to-be finish redressing.  
  
“Um, Bloodshed?”  
  
He perked up, but didn’t turn around.  
  
“Could you tighten the corset for me?”  
  
That was when he did turn around with wide eyes. Thornstriker’s back was to him, holding the ribbons behind her back as she looked over her shoulder at him.   
  
“Sorry, but I can’t do it myself…”  
  
“N-No…” he stuttered, clearing his throat. “It… It’s fine.”   
  
He turned his entire body around to face her, his large hands coming up to take the strings from her petite human ones. He almost flinched when their hands touched as he took the ribbons from her, but remained silent as he began to gently tighten the corset around the girl’s back. He was glad he had to learn how to do this with some of his partners when they needed to get dress.  
  
“It’s not too tight?” he asked as he began to tie the ribbons at the bottom of the corset.  
  
She shook her head as the other pulled away. She turned to him and gave a small smile, holding her hands to her chest. “Thank you.”    
  
He only nodded at the adorable expression. She was way too cute… It was kind of how Novabomb said. She was like a doll. Very pretty, very adorable… very sweet. But he shook his head of such thoughts, not wanting to think about anything inappropriate like he had before.  
  
“You ready to go back down?”  
  
She nodded.   
  
Bloodshed gave a small huff before looking over her. It made her feel a little... small. He was so much bigger and taller compared to her. He could kill her if he wanted to. But she dismissed that fear as being irrational. Bloodshed would never hurt her… He had said before he had only wanted to make her happy. And she believed his words.

The prince was shocked when she reached for his hand, unable to react when her little fingers brushed against his. It was instinct that made him close his hand gently around hers. Right, right, they... were getting married. Hand-holding was... normal. It was to be expected. But he never expected her to do this first. Not when she was so shy and innocent and sweet. He could see the huge blush on her face, which only made him even more embarrassed in turn.

Bloodshed had forgotten just how… soft Thornstriker was. The only time he had ever touched her was when she had fallen off the tree and he had caught her before she had hit the ground. She had been so small and soft in his big hands… He couldn’t believe he had forgotten something like that. And now he was remembering as her hand remained in his, despite giving her room to pull it away. 

Her big blue eyes looked up at him innocently, making him swallow and feel a bit embarrassed. He wasn’t sure why, but when she stared at him, he felt… almost exposed. She was way too pure for someone like him… and yet, she was going to be his wife. 

He still wondered if he was dreaming.  
  
Bloodshed cleared his throat. “Well… Let’s head back downstairs.”  
  
The princess smiled and nodded as the giant moved, still holding her hand. He made sure his pace was slow so that she could keep up with it…  
  
And so he could just be alone with her for a little more of a short while.


	16. Chapter 16

The rest of the day passed by with much more ease. Dinner went well and neither Nebula nor Novabomb made any sexual jokes or comments… Though they did tease him by telling Thornstriker some things about him he wished she didn’t know, like the size of his harem and how violent he could be on the battlefield.   
  
Her maid had given him quite a dark look when Novabomb talked about his harem. Thornstriker just sort of looked at him when it came to the battlefield comment, though she didn’t seem to be afraid of him because it, as relieving as that was.   
  
But, other than that, things were fine. Eventually, Nebula left to go home and Novabomb went to his room to sleep, since he had gotten here rather earlier. Soundwave, upon Thornstriker’s insisting, retired to their shared room, allowing Thornstriker and Bloodshed to be alone in the parlor.   
  
Bloodshed could see that the princess was tired, her eyes fluttering open and closed every so often. She was trying to hide it from him, but he wasn’t stupid. They were sitting next to each other and chatting away frivolously when he saw Thornstriker nodding off a bit.   
  
“If you’re tired, you should go to bed.”  
  
“Really, I’m fine.” She gave a small yawn and leaned back into her seat, stretching her arms out. “Today was really fun,” she said, giving a soft smile. “You have wonderful friends.”  
  
“They talk too much.”  
  
“I’m sure they were just trying to start conversation.”  
  
“They were trying to embarrass me.”  
  
Thornstriker let out a soft laugh. “I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm. I thought they were just being funny.”  
  
Bloodshed said nothing in response. Well, so long as she didn’t think that they were hateful or that he was some sort of monster, he supposed that the stress he put up with today wasn’t all that awful. She didn’t think less of him and that was all that mattered. Still, he would have to make sure that neither his friends nor his father ever said anything about him while he was alone… God only knew what they would say.  
  
Seeing her yawn again, he huffed. “I really think you should get to bed. You look exhausted.”  
  
“Really, I’m fine-”  
  
“Which is why you’re nodding off so much?”   
  
She blushed when he said that, rubbing the back of her neck. So it was true that she was tired and everything, but… She wanted to spend time with him alone. She had to get to know him better, considering they were to be married in half a year. The last thing she wanted was to have a husband she hardly knew. She was sure it was the same for Bloodshed too.   
  
“We can talk more tomorrow,” Bloodshed assured her as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. “You’re tired – get some sleep.”  
  
“… Okay…” she said, realizing that he was going to keep “suggesting” she sleep until she finally agreed. Her oldest sister was like when she tried to convince her to go to bed. She gave a small smile at the memory.  
  
“Would you like me to escort you?”  
  
She blinked, the question throwing her off. She looked up at the prince, who just looked back down at her with a blank expression. God, he was serious?  
  
“Th-That isn’t necessary,” she stammered, blushing slightly.   
  
“Allow me to, then,” Bloodshed said, rising to his feet to stand in front of her. “Your maid was right about one thing… You probably shouldn’t be by yourself too much for too long.”  
  
“She’s just being overprotective-”  
  
“I’d feel better knowing you got to your room for sure,” he insisted.

He stretched out his hands toward her, stopping them in front of her to give her the choice of being carried or not. While it was understandable if she wasn’t comfortable with something like that, it would certainly take less time for her if he carried her to her room. 

Thornstriker bit her bottom lip as she looked at the hands before looking up back at him. While she was happy to hear that Bloodshed was concern about her well-being, she didn’t know how to feel with being held. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Bloodshed… It was just a strange sensation, having to be supported by another so far from the ground.   
  
Still, she didn't want to come across as not trusting the other and gave a soft smile. "All right."  
  
Bloodshed nodded. Carefully, he picked up the young girl and gently lifted her up. He felt the girl shiver a bit, but he acted as if he didn't notice. He knew she was trying her hardest to not appear frightened, but he understood. He would feel the same way if he was in her position. But he wanted her to feel comfortable and decided that holding her like a doll was not going to help her in the slightest.   
  
He carefully shifted her, holding her up against his chest as she sat on his arm, allowing her to rest her head against his shoulder. Her hands instantly went to his shirt, her hands clenching at the soft material as she sat on his strong arm. Truthfully, it was a little frightening to be held like this, but she felt secure. Bloodshed wouldn't drop her and she was resting comfortably in her spot.   
  
"This okay?" he asked, looking down at her.  
  
She nodded once. As she relaxed more in his hold, it vaguely reminded her of how Soundwave would hold her whenever she took her down the trees she would climb when she had been younger. She gave him a small smile, which prompted Bloodshed to deem her comfortable as he looked up and slowly walked forward.   
  
As she snuggled into him, Bloodshed couldn't help but to take his time walking. This moment was just far too perfect. He prayed that no one would interrupt him or that Novabomb wasn't coming out for a snack or something. He just wanted to stay like this, holding this sweet girl so close to him... He just hoped that she couldn't hear his heart beating slightly faster than usual. 

* * *

Soundwave gave a small sigh, unbraiding her hair for Lord-only-knew-teenth time as she sat in one of chairs in the room. She looked back at the door before looking back at the clock in the room. It had been a while since she had left Thornstriker with the Prince of Giants in the parlor. She had been reluctant to leave, but her lady had insisted... Now she was a little anxious since it was so late. Thornstriker still needed a bath... In the bathroom, she had already set out the soap, the towels, and the dress for the girl to wear. The tub had been warm, but now she wasn't sure.   
  
She wished she could go back to the parlor to check up on her charge. Thornstriker was by herself with the Giant Prince. Even though they had had moments alone with each other the past two days, she was still nervous about leaving her alone with the giant. While she thought the prince was more civil and courteous compared to his... father, the Giant King had already ticked her off in the few hours he had given her the tour yesterday, flirting and trying to seduce her.  Who was to say that the son would do the same to Thornstriker when they were alone?  
  
The maid remembered the giantess boasting about the harem of the Prince. She had even mentioned it being nothing compared to the king's! God, a man only had a harem of that size if he had foul thoughts and uncontrollable needs! If anything, Soundwave was glad Thornstriker was marrying Bloodshed and not Bombrush. At least Bloodshed acted more like an actual member of royalty than his father!  
  
Still, she couldn't hold out waiting much longer. Bloodshed seemed like a gentleman, but there was no way to tell if that was his true nature. He could only be giving such an appearance for the sake of the treaty; who could say what would happen when they finally married? He could literally rip away her kind and innocent nature so easily.  
  
Pulling her hands out of her hair, the woman made a decision. God be damned if she had been ordered otherwise, but she was going to see to her charge. She was responsible for Thornstriker's safety and wellbeing, so Soundwave would be damned before she let that giant possible do anything when she had sworn to protect her otherwise.  
  
Yet, as she stood up, the door suddenly opened. She looked up, eyes widening when she saw Bloodshed walk in, Thornstriker being carried like a child in his arms. She stiffened a bit at the sight. Bloodshed... was carrying her. He was holding her high off the ground and if she fell... And why was he suddenly holding her? He had yelled at Novabomb when he had tried to grab her... What gave him the right to touch and hold her so frivolously?   
  
Upon seeing her maid, Thornstriker smiled. "You're still awake, Soundwave? I thought you would have been asleep by now."  
  
Soundwave swallowed, trying to find her voice. "... I was waiting for you to return." She slowly made her way over to the two royal, trying not to appear tense as Bloodshed gently set Thornstriker to the ground. Once the princess's feet were on the floor, she relaxed a bit.  
  
"Thank you," Thornstriker said, still smiling. Then she turned to Bloodshed. "And thank you for escorting me to my room. I had a wonderful time meeting your friends."  
  
"You're welcome," he muttered quietly. "And I'm pretty sure they liked you too."  
  
"I'm glad," she giggled.   
  
Soundwave just watched the two of them for a few moments. Well, nothing bad had happened... But this prince was still that pervert's child. She had to remain cautious and wary of this man. She had no idea what he was really like. She had only been known him for two days. One could never be too cautious, especially with men.  
  
"Lady Thornstriker, you should take your bath now," Soundwave said, interrupting the duo. The girl needed to get clean before it got too late after all and it gave her an opportunity to speak with the giant alone. It was a foolish idea speaking to the prince, but she needed to get her thoughts across to him.  
  
"Oh...okay." The girl liked being clean, but she had wished to talk to the prince a little longer.  
  
"It's well past the time you go to bed. You don't want to be tired tomorrow morning, don't you?"  
  
"No." Thornstriker felt a little embarrassed being treated so childishly by Soundwave in front of Bloodshed.  
  
"Here, let's get you set up. I'll draw up some more heat for your bath."  
  
Bloodshed watched as the two females went into the bathroom. He figured he should excuse himself and leave, but he had not yet properly said good night to the princess. Perhaps he could wait for her to come back out to say good night? Or should he pass it on to her maid? The woman would have to come back out to get her charge's nightgown lying on her bed.  
  
Feeling a little guilty for looking over Thornstriker's night garments, the prince had little else to do as he waited for one of them to return. It was a simple gown, a light woody green that was just as conservative as the princess's day clothes. Except for the ties in the front. He wondered why these wouldn't be in the back like most women's clothing.  
  
Splashing alerted the Prince to the door. Luckily, no one came out, but he was certain Thornstriker had just gotten into the bath. So he would either have to wait for her to clean up, dry off, and get dressed to say goodnight or pass the message onto the maid. As much as he wanted to say good night to the girl himself, he was starting to feel a little worried he would seem... creepy for waiting for his bride-to-be to finish taking a bath. But he didn't want to just leave without a good night, so he hoped her maid would come out soon.  
  
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the older woman came out with her sleeves rolled up while she carried what looked to be Thornstriker's day clothes in her arms. She stopped immediately upon seeing the prince still in the room before narrowing her eyes.  
  
Damn, she was already thinking he was being creepy for waiting like this. "M-My apologies, I just didn't feel right leaving without wishing the princess good night."  
Soundwave didn't let up her tense state. While it was good manners to not just leave without properly bidding one a proper farewell, especially to your future wife-to-be, it unnerved her that the Giant Prince was standing in their room while Thornstriker was naked and vulnerable in the room connected to it.  
  
"I see."  Still, she had to keep her manners. She hoped she could still keep them when she spoke her thoughts to the giant.  
  
"... I... Tell her that I hope she has a good sleep. You as well."  
  
Soundwave merely nodded.  
  
Christ, she was a rather unfriendly woman. He wasn't sure why, but a part of him almost felt intimidated by her. It was probably stupid of him, considering he was a giant  _and_  a prince while she was just a human maid. He had no reason to feel intimidated by this woman and yet...  
  
"You're rather attached to her for only knowing her for a short period of time."  
  
He blinked, looking down at the woman as she just looked up at him with a blank expression. He was surprised that she had said something like that. She didn't seem like a woman who spoke often. Only when necessary... Was she trying to tell him something? He wasn't sure, so he remained silent.  
  
Soundwave continued. "Correct me if I'm wrong... However, I believe that my princess is much different than any other woman you may have encountered in the past, isn't she?"  
  
"... She is."  
  
"It's easy to be drawn to her. She's a very kind girl... She isn't called the 'Benevolent Princess' by her people simply because. And not only is she a kind girl, but she is also very pretty. I am well aware of how much like a doll she is... I watched her grow up from a child to a young adult."  
  
Where the hell was this woman getting at? But Bloodshed held his tongue, allowing the woman to continue.  
  
"However... Despite the fact that she has grown and is old enough to marry, she still is quite naive about many, many things... I hope Your Majesty understands this."  
  
"... I do."  
  
"Then, please, understand this." She took another stepped toward the giant, looking straight up at him. Bloodshed's eyes widened ever so slightly, not expecting the fierce look from her. "I will do everything and anything to protect her innocence for as long as I can. She may be physically old enough to marry and have children and be a mother and wife by this point, but she is a pure girl. She is an innocent girl and I will do everything in my power to make sure that she remains that way for as long as possible. Do you understand… Prince Bloodshed?"  
  
Bloodshed just stared at the woman. Her gaze didn’t waver as she looked up at him with hard, cold bright red eyes, completely dismissing the fact that the man before her was a giant. He wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, but a part of him felt as if she was threatening him. Or at least challenging him. Women sure were terrifying…  
  
Unable to say anything, he just gave a nod.  
  
“Good.” She bowed to the other. “I’ll tell milady that you said goodnight. Rest well, Your Majesty.”   
  
“… You as well.”   
  
Then he turned away, walking out the room and closing the door behind him. Dear Lord, that was… different. Well, while it seemed Thornstriker liked him, her maid did not. In fact, it was pretty obvious that Soundwave didn’t trust him at all.  
  
He mentally cursed his friends and his father. He just knew they were the reason why she probably didn’t like him. He couldn’t exactly blame her though… His father was perverted and his friends tried to humiliate him by talking about his harem and his fighting skills. That could cause people to distrust him if they didn’t know him well enough…  
  
Bloodshed rubbed his eyes. Well, it appeared to be that he didn’t have to worry about Thornstriker not trusting him… Soundwave was the one with the issue, as much of a pain in the ass that was. He would have to somehow convince her that he had no intentions to hurt Thornstriker. He really just wanted to make her happy…  
  
Now he had to convince her maid that. It wasn’t a challenge he was looking forward to, but from the looks of things, he didn’t have much of choice.  
  
Shit.


	17. Chapter 17

A week had gone by since meeting Bloodshed’s friends. Soundwave had kept a close eye on the princess and the prince and his friend whenever they were alone together. So far, she seemed safe with the two giants and Bloodshed made sure that Novabomb did not lay a hand on her. And the prince didn’t seem to be interested in her sexually, which was a relief.  
  
Still, she had to remain alert. She never knew if Bloodshed was simply acting the part. There were always those types of men who would be sweet and kind one moment before turning violent and sadistic the next. Christ, her own deceased husband was like that. And if that turned out to be the case with Bloodshed, then Soundwave would do everything in her power to protect Thornstriker from the same abuse she had faced with Razorcut.   
  
Soundwave was watching from the parlor Thornstriker chatting with Novabomb out in the garden. Bloodshed had been with them a few minutes ago, but a servant had told him something that made him get up and leave the two alone with each other. She wasn’t sure what the blue-haired giant was doing or even saying, but it was certainly making her princess laugh. For now, she could see that the girl was safe, which was relieving.   
  
She gave a small sigh and leaned back into the pillow she was sitting against. Well, despite her being cautious, she was glad to see that Thornstriker was happy and didn’t appear to be lonely. She had been worried about that. The girl had always been surrounded by her family and she had managed to make friends with the younger servants closer to her age, so she always had people to be with. Soundwave had been worried that it wouldn’t be the same here and it would cause the girl to feel isolated.   
  
But she had forgotten that Thornstriker was a very friendly girl and people were just naturally drawn to her. She had already made friends with a few of the female servants here and she was doing very well living here with these strangers. Yes, they were kind and no one gave off an hostile feelings, but strangers were still strangers.   
  
"Excuse me... Miss Soundwave?"  
  
Speaking of strangers... Soundwave turned her head to look at the young human male servant, Albert, who had entered the parlor carrying a tea tray. He couldn't have been older than twenty and he was a rather shy young man, very polite and rather bashful. And it was quite obvious that he was attracted to her. For this past week, he had been offering her assistance or help with almost everything and anything. And today, he had asked her several times if she wanted tea.  
  
While she didn't sense any malice feelings from the boy, he was still an unfamiliar man to her. She had coldly brushed him off, but he certainly was persistent... Of course, from what she overheard, many of the female servants were trying to offer him advice on how to "woo" her, so that must have been what was keeping him from being discouraged.   
  
Eventually, when he had asked for a fourth time, she relented and allowed him to bring her some tea. And from what she saw, there were two teacups on the tray. So… He wished to have tea with her. While she didn't dislike the boy, she felt a bit uncomfortable being alone in a room with another man like this. It was a bit too familiar for her.  
  
"I... I, um, brought the tea." He gestured his head to the tray. He walked over to where she sat and set it down in front of her. He respectfully sat on the other side of the table, which relaxed her nerves a bit. "I didn't know what your preferred flavor was, so I'm sorry if it isn't to your liking."  
  
Soundwave said nothing, reaching for the cup closest to her. As she brought it to her lips, she eyed it for a few moments before glancing back up at Albert. She had always been weary of accepting drinks from men. Her husband used to give her drinks, only for them to have alcohol in them so she would be more submissive during sex. But judging from the boy's nervous squirming and not being able to smell anything out of the ordinary from the drink, she took a small sip.   
  
It was surprisingly quite delicious and it was her favorite flavor, raspberry tea. "Thank you, it's very good," she said as she pulled the cup from her lips, seeing the boy's shoulders slump in relief.  
  
"I-I'm glad," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Truthfully, His Majesty had us go to the human market to buy things that he was certain that you and Princess Thornstriker would like... He didn't want you to feel uncomfortable here."  
  
Soundwave merely nodded, taking a sip of her tea. So... Bloodshed had thought of something like that. She closed her eyes and took that into account.  
  
Albert bit his bottom lip and glanced at the second cup before looking back at the beautiful woman in front of him. When he had first heard about the maid's looks from the other male servants, he had to see for himself... And God, she was so beautiful. Almost celestial. Snow white skin, raven hair, bright red eyes... He had never seen any woman like her. And he knew he wasn't the only male in the house drawn to her. He just seemed to be one of the few who found the courage to attempt to speak with her.  
  
"May... May I drink with you, Miss Soundwave?"  
  
The maid glanced up at the boy. He was fidgeting and obviously nervous about her reply. While she didn't want to give him the wrong idea, he didn't appear to be a bad man and she didn't wish to be rude. After all, he had brought her rather fine tea.   
  
"Very well."   
  
The boy perked up, eyes widened at the response. She didn't pay any mind to it though, simply sipping her tea in peace. As he began to drink with her, she observed him carefully. He seemed rather simple and only wanted to get to know her and talk to her... At least for now. His demeanor could change at any moment. But since this boy was a servant to the prince, perhaps she could learn about him through Albert.  
  
"How long have you worked under the Prince?" she asked.   
  
"O-Oh... For about a year and a half now."  
  
"What do you think of him?"  
  
"W-Well, he's intimidating sometimes, but... he's not a bad person."  
  
That didn't tell her anything. If Bloodshed turned out to be a tyrant, anyone under his rule would have said the exact same thing. She would have to try a more indirect approach... And maybe the boy would say more if she tried it this way.  
  
Albert couldn't stop himself from blushing when he saw the woman give a gentle, beautiful smile. "It must be tough, working under someone you find intimidating."  
  
"U-Uh, i-it isn't that bad..."  
  
"Oh really? It wasn't scary when you first started working here?"  
  
Albert shook his head, taking a long sip from his drink. "I-I mean, His Majesty doesn't socialize much with us, but he doesn't overwork us or anything... And when I made a mistake once, he forgave me very easily. I-I had thought he would punish me, but he didn't... He's actually nice, i-in his own way."  
  
Her eyes widened ever so slightly. Well... It didn't seem as if Bloodshed was tyrannical or anything of the sort. But while that was a relief to hear, she knew it wasn't much. Albert was a young, male servant. Bloodshed may have been kind to him only because he was a male and new. Fear taught well, but not much to the person who served you your meals every day. Even a giant could be taken down with a strong poison.  
  
Another avenue of approach was needed. "That must have been scary."  
  
"I-It was... I thought he would have hit me for spilling soup on him, but he didn't seem to care. He asked if I was okay since I had tripped over a carpet."  
  
At least the prince could control his temper. "I imagine you got better very quickly after that."  
  
"Y-Yes." Albert took another sip from his teacup, his hands shaking the cup. "Prince Bloodshed had me work elsewhere in the house so I could improve my balancing skills without risking another spill until I got better."  
  
"What sort of work?"  
  
"M-Moving things. It was important t-that I improve my arms so I could hold things steadier. I-I actually helped out with moving things in and out of the Princess's room."  
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Y-Yes... It helped me developed plenty of arm strength."  
  
"If I may... What was this house before milady and I arrived?"  
  
"Just a simple villa that the Queen had before she passed... The king had given it to her since she had a lot of human friends that came to visit her and they all met here many times before her passing... Truthfully, the room you two are in now was her old room."  
  
Soundwave said nothing in response, merely nodding. She had wondered why the room already had such womanly touches... It had been the Queen's old room. Which made her wonder...  
  
"One would think that the prince wouldn't like humans after what happened with his mother."  
  
"Ah... W-Well, I-I heard at first, when he was younger, he didn't really, but... I-I guess after a while, he... just didn't care? I'm not really sure... But he doesn't seem very hostile toward humans, don't you think?"  
  
"... Yes. I suppose he doesn't." So. Bloodshed  _had_  harbored bitter feelings towards humans in the past. And he just suddenly stopped disliking them? She found that hard to believe. In fact, she didn't believe it at all. It sounded suspicious... Could he still dislike them? Had he only picked Thornstriker because she appeared to be the weakest out of all her sisters?  
  
"M-Miss Soundwave, if I may... what's it like, being the princess's maid?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I-I mean... W-Well, all the humans here know about Princess Thornstriker... The kind princess... I-I was just wondering what it was like, being her maid..."  
  
Soundwave eyed him for a few moments before taking a sip of her tea. "I enjoy my work. Milady is a good woman and always listens to my advice and my words. I enjoy working for her."    
  
"I-It sounds wonderful being a maid to a member of royalty." Albert started to feel a little more confident, his hands not shaking as much now even though his words still tended to stutter now and there.  
  
"It is good work. But it can be difficult if you don't have someone like Thornstriker as your charge."  
  
"R-Really?"  
  
"Yes. I remember how much trouble the princess's older siblings could be. Especially Cometstar and Starshine. Cometstar never liked getting up in the morning; I can still remember hearing her tantrums in the morning while I was dressing Thornstriker for the day. And her twin... she was better, but she was more faithful to her twin than anyone else. Starshine would often follow Cometstar when the girl was off doing something she wasn't supposed to."  
  
"Oh my... that s-sound difficult." Albert had thought of the idea of helping to care for a young child, but hearing about the more vocal children was making him have second thoughts.  
  
Soundwave noticed his face. Not letting it slip, she leaned a little closer and gave him a smile. "They weren't the worst."  
  
"T-They weren't-?!"  
  
"Starshine would cry when she didn't have her way and Cometstar was bossy to everyone, but one could get used to that. Thornstriker's brother, Acid Rain, was a nightmare. His maids would cry about he would never listen to them and always lie about everything. The only redeeming factor about him as a child was that he never tried to blame anyone for anything serious that he did. It would have been scandalous to the royal family if Acid Rain was getting our staff fired for his misdemeanors."  
  
"Wow... you must have been lucky, having someone like Thornstriker to take care of."  
  
"You suppose one could say that."  
  
Albert smiled a little. "Still, it's a full time job... How do you have time for yourself?"  
  
"I make time. And as she has grown up, I do have a little more time to myself and my family."    
  
"Oh." He seemed to deflate a little at the comment. "You have a family?"  
  
"Four sons."  
  
"What about a-"  
  
"I'm a widow."   
  
"Oh." He thought about asking what happened to her husband, but quickly went against the idea since it wasn't any of his business. For all he knew, it was an incredibly sensitive topic for her. Still, he was surprised that she had not remarried anyone... He didn't see how she could still be available. She was so beautiful.  
  
"You... don't have any suitors?" he asked.   
  
She shrugged.  
  
"I-I'm surprised since you're so attractive-" Then he bit his bottom lip, realizing what he had just said. He blushed brightly in shame, hanging his head so he wouldn't have to look at her when she looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "I-I beg your pardon..." he mumbled.  
  
Soundwave merely lifted an eyebrow. She was wondering when he would start hitting on her. Typical of men, they only entertained you with conversation for a bit before they started on their real objective of trying to seduce you. Thought this boy wasn't as bad as the Giant King, she knew it would probably be pointless trying to get any more information out of him.  
  
"You're not the first to say that."  
  
"O-Oh? I-I mean, it's not very surprising since you are-! Ack, um, I mean-"  
  
"Son, you  _really_  need to work on your flirting and social skills. This is almost painful to listen to."  
  
The new voice startled the humans, causing them to look at the door to the parlor. There stood the Giant King, who was leaning up against the open door with his arms folded across his chest as he smirked down at the pair. Soundwave's eyes simply narrowed before she looked away from him to sip her tea while Albert's face turned bright red in humiliation.  
  
Bombrush kept his smiling face on as he walked in to join the two at the table, getting down onto one knee so that he would not be towering over them. Seeing that the maid would not entertain him just yet, he turned to the young human. "Albert, right?"  
  
The poor man looked ready to soil himself. "Y-Yes, m-m-my king."  
  
"When you wish to talk with a woman, you need to have a plan. Simply walking up to her and striking up a conversation never works out. She'll grow bored if you don't have enough to talk about."  
  
"U-Umm... O-Okay."  
  
"Next time you do, keep a few juicy stories on you to entertain them with. Women love gossip and a man who can tell it well is one they'll love to talk with. That shouldn't be too hard for you Albert. Servants always hear the juiciest stuff around."  
  
"...Ah-"  
  
"And try to work on your flattering skills. Any woman would have slapped you and walked away by now. It's a very delicate game you have to play. Flatter them with the right words and don't mess up and they'll be falling over you in no time."  
  
Albert had nothing left in him at that moment. Anyone else would have thought the king to be simply teasing the boy in his failed attempts to court a woman. But that wasn't the case and Soundwave could tell. Bombrush was advising the boy as well as giving him the impression that she was off-limits.  
  
Once again, typical men. If another were to look at their prey, they would fight over the girl like beasts. It was obvious that Bombrush was holding back from glaring down the boy into a coma for trying to flirt with her. She wondered how he would tell the young man to keep his eyes away from her.  
  
To her surprise, the King merely reached forward to remove the cup in the servant's hand after the young man sat there for a good two minutes without responding. With more delicacy than she thought possibly, the giant placed the cup gently onto the tray before turning back to Albert.  
  
"You know, Albert, I think they're starting to prepare lunch. Why don't you go see if they need any help?"  
  
When the human didn't respond right away, Bombrush merely kept his smile as he reached down to gently shake the man.  
  
"H-Huh... I-I..."  
  
"Kitchen. Lunch. Help. Go on now."  
  
Albert swallowed and nodded. He quickly bowed to both the king and Soundwave, though she had turned her attention back to the window by this point. She had hoped that Thornstriker had moved locations by this point so that she would have to follow her. Sadly, Thornstriker and Novabomb had not moved from their original spot and Bloodshed had returned to join them.  
  
So. Bombrush had been the reason the prince had left. He had to greet him… And now that he was here, he was going to sexually harass her once more. God, how she disliked this giant. Did he really think women would just throw themselves at him? While she could see that he was attractive and understood he was the ruler of this land, it didn’t give him the right to harass her or any other woman.   
  
When she heard the door closed, the king’s chuckle followed. “That was certainly fun to observe.”  
  
She didn’t reply or turn to face him, still quietly observing her charge outside. Even when she could sense that he was moving closer to sit beside her, she did not turn to look at him. She kept her focus on the princess outside, as her safety was her first priority. And she hoped the king would understand that, through her body language, she was clearly uninterested and rejecting his advances.   
  
But the king just seemed to ignore them as he kneeled down in front of her, resting a hand on the area right beside where she sat. She inwardly tensed when he leaned forward a bit, his lips coming against her ear.   
  
“It isn’t polite to ignore someone,” he said, giving a dark chuckle in her ear.   
  
She slowly turned to look at him, eyes narrowed at the king as he leaned back. “It is also impolite to act so familiarly with a guest.”  
  
Bombrush merely smiled. “I simply wish to get to know you better… After all, you will be seeing much more of me once my son marries your princess and you all move into my castle.”  
  
Soundwave suppressed a groan. She did not want to be around this man. And while she understood tradition, why couldn't the two royals just stay at this manor while they were newlyweds? She wouldn't have to be around him that way... Damn King would be chasing her around his castle the entire time, despite having an enormous brothel to choose from.   
  
She took a sip from her tea. "I doubt your advisors will approve of your obsessive and rather aggressive pursuit to mate with me."  
  
"You sound like I'm some sort of beast."  
  
Soundwave didn't respond to that at first, simply taking another sip from her cup. Then, she said simply, "You certainly behave like one, especially just now with how you scared away another 'contender.'"  
  
"Oh, I was simply messing with him." He smirked when he saw that Soundwave gave him a look, not believing him for a moment. "All right, I suppose I shouldn't lie. I tend to be a rather possessive man."  
  
"A horrid trait," she commented, putting down her cup as she leaned back in her seat.  
  
"As king, it is an important trait. If I wasn't possessive of my land, then other kingdoms would try to conquer it." He gave a soft laugh though, leaning away from her. "Of course, I suppose I can be a bit too possessive over my women. I don't enjoy losing them to someone else."  
  
"I'm not one of your women. You have no right or reason to be possessive over me."    
  
"Ah, but I do. Someone else may snatch you away from me if I'm not."  
  
"I am not an object."  
  
"But you are a rather irresistible woman," he said, smirking, much to Soundwave's disgust. "You may find me vile, my dear, but I am not like some men who are eager to simply take you for themselves without your consent."  
  
"I am not a defenseless woman. I have been chasing off unwanted suitors long before you attempted to assist me. I can handle myself."  
  
"What sort of gentleman would I be if I idly stood by while a woman was being hassled by undesired characters?"  
  
"And what sort of gentleman would insist on being in the affairs of a woman who does not wish for his company?"  
  
"She's simply being shy."  
  
"I can assure you,  _Your Highness_ , she isn't."  
  
He laughed. She certainly was much different than the other women he had encountered. He had never met someone with such stubborn nature. While it was attractive, he was curious as to why she was resisting him so much. Could it be she didn't like giants? Well, he supposed everyone had his or her prejudice. Maybe hers was against giants.  
  
When she turned away to look out the window again, he followed her gaze. Ah... So that was why she was sitting here. To keep watch over her little princess... She certainly was dedicated to protecting her. Perhaps that was the issue. She was obviously a very serious woman and very selfless when it came to her own needs. She couldn't really enjoy herself if all she could focus on was the princess. And while it made sense for her to do so back in her kingdom, Thornstriker would be fine with Bloodshed being by her side.  
  
"You certainly are dedicated to her," he pointed out. "It's quite admirable. I wish I had found a nanny for Bloodshed when he was younger who was as caring as you."  
  
Soundwave said nothing.  
  
"Still, Thornstriker is seventeen. You don't need to watch over her so protectively."  
  
"Only a man would say something like that."  
  
"You believe so?"  
  
"I know so. And someone like Thornstriker... She will most definitely need me when the time comes."   
  
Though Soundwave prayed that it would never come. It was foolish of her though. Thornstriker would become Bloodshed's wife and she needed a woman's guidance on what to expect. She knew next to nothing about a wife's duties... And she knew nothing about sex. She had much to teach Thornstriker before her wedding night... If she ever got around to explaining it.   
  
Truthfully, she didn't want to explain it. She wanted Thornstriker to stay pure, innocent... Not to mention she didn't know where to start. As much as she wanted to say sex was a wonderful thing, she couldn't truly say and mean it. She did not view sex as something wonderful. It was simply an act for the man to control and use the woman. But she didn't want to tell Thornstriker to just lie on her back and let her husband do his duty. She didn't want the girl to be frightened of it, but she didn't know how to explain it.   
  
Bombrush was a bit surprised. He had never met anyone as dedicated as Soundwave was. Still, Thornstriker couldn't have her hand held forever. Like all adults, she needed to learn things on her own.  
  
"You shouldn't baby her."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
He sighed. He was only hoping to gain more trust with her, but it was getting harder to do so. As much as her stubbornness was an attractive part of her personality, it was getting a little frustrating, especially when he was trying to be serious with her.  
  
"Soundwave, I applaud your dedication to being an important part of Thornstriker's life. I'm sure the princess and her family appreciates you for helping her through her difficult moments in life."  
  
The woman's hands gripped the teacup a little harder before loosening their grip again.  
  
"But you can't be there for every little problem Thornstriker has. Yes, I'm certain she would love for you to help her out for every one of them, but she'll never grow up if she doesn't have the chance to face these things herself."  
  
"Are you suggesting that I abandon her to face the challenges of being a wife by herself?"  
  
"No, I-" he tried to explain himself, but he was caught off guard with the maid turning towards him with a hard glare.  
  
"Should she have received no console or advice from me when it comes time for her to bed your son on their wedding night?"  
  
"Soundwave, I'm not saying that."  
  
"Then what are you trying to tell me?"  
  
"I'm simply saying that you need to give her space to grow and give yourself more time to relax and enjoy yourself. You are her maid and you should do whatever you see fit, but you don't need to shelter her so much. Simply guide her."   
  
She gave a soft huff, reaching up to rub her eyes. While she had a feeling that he was saying this so she would use her free time to become his bed warmer, she supposed he did have a point. Still, he didn't understand where she was coming from. He wasn't the one living in some foreign land with giants.   
  
"Your Majesty," she said, trying to remain calm. "While I understand what you are trying to tell me, understand the given circumstances. Both milady and I are living in some foreign land with people we are both unfamiliar. Your son has also chosen her to be his bride, a man she does not love or even truly know. And this marriage must succeed for the sake of both kingdoms. You should know this better than anyone else... So why can't you understand my desire to protect her from harm?"  
  
Bombrush wasn't quite sure how to respond to that at first. It made sense, but what he found so unfathomable was just how... untrusting she was of not just him, but his son. Yes, he could understand her not trusting him that much. He had tried to flirt with her when they had first met and it was a challenge he had gladly accepted...  
  
But Bloodshed... he couldn't understand. His son was kind and respectful to women. And the boy was head over heels for the princess; it was unlikely he would do anything to offend or frighten Thornstriker or her maid. Why would Soundwave think that Bloodshed would harm the princess?  
  
Or was it not them? Was it giants in general? Was she wary of Thornstriker's safety around them because of the conflict between their races years ago?  
  
"Soundwave," the King softly spoke as he reached out a hand to hold both of hers still holding her teacup, causing the maid to flinch before turning to him. "I do understand your desire to protect Princess Thornstriker. I do know the feeling of wanting to protect the person closest to you from any danger. But please, you don't need to feel threatened by my son or me. Bloodshed would never harm a woman; he wouldn't even if she struck him first. And he cares for Thornstriker deeply; he only wants to see her happy and healthy with her life even though he chose her to be his wife. And I can assure you, I would never allow anyone to harm her or you. I swear on my kingdom and my life that the prince and I will protect the both of you."  
  
Soundwave just looked down at the large hand on hers. She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a soft sigh. She did not want to believe such pretty words from a man she hardly knew… They were merely words. And she knew that words meant absolutely nothing. Actions spoke louder than them. Just like her deceased husband.  
  
He would always be apologetic when he wasn’t drunk or angry. He would always say he was sorry, that he would do better for the children, for her. He would say he loved her when he was sober… Such awful lies he fed her day in and day out. He never changed, he never stopped – he abused her and tried to feed her pretty words to make up for it.   
  
This giant in front of her may have not have been her husband, but it still didn’t change the fact that he was a man. Since her husband, she could truly never trust them. Men, generally, were all the same to her. They were all master manipulators, greedy, perverted… At least most of the ones she had encountered over the years that tried to woo her.   
  
Besides, the king… How could she trust someone like him? He was just too suspicious of a character to her. Acting overfamiliar with her and touching her… Not to mention he had just been harassing her a few moments ago. His words probably had no meaning to them. They were simply words.  
  
She opened her eyes and looked down at her hands, seeing that he was still holding them with his. She let out a soft breath and looked away…  
  
Only to have Bombrush’s hand move from her hands to her chin, gently pulling her face to look at his as he held her chin in place. Her eyes widened, a chilling shiver going down her spine at the fierce look in the king’s red eyes. She swallowed, trying to keep herself composed. It was too much like when her former husband would make her look at him…  
  
Then the king gave a small smile. “You certainly have a pretty face.”  
  
Soundwave blinked. What did he just say? “Wha-”   
  
“I said you have a pretty face.” His fingers moved from her chin to her cheek, his nails barely caressing her skin before they moved to her hair. “And the prince and I will definitely protect you and your princess from those who wish to harm those pretty faces of yours.”  
  
Her shoulders dropped as her eyes narrowed, turning her head away from him as she reached up to push his fingers away. So. She was right. It was just him saying kind words in an attempt to get her into his bed. At least he was more honest about it than most men, she would give him that much.  
  
“Don’t touch me so familiarly. You don't know me well enough for this.”  
  
He chuckled and held up his hands, watching she set down her teacup. “My apologies. But I only speak the truth.”   
  
Soundwave didn’t respond to that. Instead, she moved herself over to the window, getting a better look outside of it. Thornstriker was still sitting on the bench, though she was laughing hysterically as Novabomb was wrestling with the prince, who seemed rather agitated by how touchy the other was being with him. Well, so long as she seemed to be enjoying herself...  
  
"... Soundwave."  
  
She didn't look at him, but gave a soft breath to show that she had heard the king.  
  
"Would you join me in a game of chess?"  
  
Soundwave looked back at the man, surprised by the offer. Though her eyes narrowed a bit suspiciously at the wide grin on his face.   
  
He held up his hands innocently. "Just a simple chess game... And maybe with a wager?"  
  
She frowned and looked away. "I'm not interested."   
  
"Come on, don't be this way. I simply want to get to know you better."  
  
"More like get under my skirt."  
  
"That too, but much later into the future."  
  
She sent him a dark glare at that, one that he just made him laugh and shake his head.  
  
"Come on. One game of chess. If I win, you have to spend the day with me. And I don't mean in my chambers... I simply wish to get to know you better." He moved himself closer to her as she simply looked up at him, eyeing him suspiciously. "You said I don't know you and you're right. But I wish to."  
  
This man's dedication to his chase was almost something to be admired. Most would have given up by now, especially with how coldly she was acting. If she wasn't so annoyed with him, she would almost be impressed by his determination. But he did not know her and how she was actually a good chess player. She decided that she would not only humor the man, but humiliate him as well.  
  
"Very well," she said, standing up. "One game. And if I win, I want you to cease your pursuit of me."  
  
He smiled. "Agreed. Come - let's play."


	18. Chapter 18

“Nova, you’re going to hurt yourself.”  
  
“I’ll be fine!”  
  
“Are you sure you shouldn’t try to stop him?”  
  
“It won’t be my fault if he gets hurt.”  
  
“You guys worry too much! I’m fine!”  
  
“… I really think he’s going to eventually fall.”  
  
Bloodshed said nothing in response to the princess’s concern. When Novabomb had gotten bored wrestling with him, he wandered off deeper into the garden, Bloodshed and Thornstriker following him. They were currently over by the enormous trees in the far back area of the garden and watching Novabomb climb up one of them.   
  
Thornstriker couldn’t help but to worry. Even if he was a giant, a fall from that distance… He could get seriously injured. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him sit on a thick branch toward the top of the tree, the man swinging his legs back and forth as he smiled down at them.  
  
“Wow, Thornstriker, you look even smaller than normal from up here.”  
  
“I suppose I would…” She glanced at Bloodshed, who just looked completely annoyed with how Novabomb was acting. It made her laugh softly to herself as she looked back up at the servant.    
  
“Hey, Bloodshed, if I jumped, would you catch me?” Novabomb asked.  
  
“No.”  
  
Novabomb gave a dramatic hurt expression. “Eh~?! But I could die~!”  
  
“I’m not that one that decided to jump.”  
  
Novabomb pouted, pursing his lips as his gaze turned back to the young human girl standing beside his friend. “Look how mean he is to me~! You should scold him, Miss Future-Wife!”  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and looked down at the ground, blushing brightly at the reminder. Though the wedding was half a year away, they were still technically engaged… It was just embarrassing to say aloud, though there was really nothing embarrassing about it. It was just a fact.  
  
Bloodshed huffed, rubbing his eyes. God, he had forgotten how immature his friend could be. He had such a childish mentality... But damn, this guy was a full-grown man. He seriously needed to start acting like it... Bloodshed was done climbing up trees to get Novabomb out of them.   
  
"Nova. You're not a kid anymore. You can get down by yourself."   
  
"But I could fall and break my neck."  
  
"Then you should have thought of that before you climbed up there."   
  
"Bloodshed~~~~~" Novabomb whined, jumping up and down in his spot. "This branch won't hold me forever~~~"  
  
"Then climb down."  
  
"Um, Bloodshed," Thornstriker interjected, now fearing for Novabomb's safety. As sturdy as the branch looked, the giant's jumping was bending it to the point where it seemed it would break. "I... I think you should get him down from there... The branch-"  
  
"He's fallen from bigger trees; he'll be fine."  
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened at the sudden statement. That was... rather cold of him, wasn't it? It was almost as if Bloodshed didn't even care that his supposed best friend could seriously hurt himself. And if he fell and hit his head, he could probably die. Wasn't the giant concerned about that?  
  
Bloodshed glanced at her and saw her staring at him with a shocked expression, making him realize that he had probably been too blunt. Shit, he should have thought that out better. Clearing his throat, he quickly said, "Nova... likes to do these kinds of things to get attention. Like I said before, he's like a little kid and he's always doing stupid things like this because he likes the attention."  
  
"But... he could-"  
  
"Really, tree-climbing is nothing. Mirage has seen worse from him apparently."  
  
"Mirage?"  
  
"... A friend of Nova's," he said, hesitating to say who the man really was. But when Thornstriker didn't seem to notice his hesitation and didn't inquire about the man, he continued. "Anyway, we can't react to every single thing he does. Nova's got to grow up somehow and spoiling him won't do him any good."  
  
Novabomb just watched with a stupid grin on his face as Bloodshed struggled to explain to his future wife that he did care about him despite not coming to get him down. It was really funny, especially with all he could see Bloodshed was mentally freaking out. Oh well, Novabomb knew that if he were really stuck up in a tree, Bloodshed would rush up to help him. He would even get his dad to help him if it was serious enough. In reality, Bloodshed was a serious softie and would do what he could to help his friends.     
  
But just as he moved himself on the branch, he heard something crack. His eyes widened as he looked over to see that his jumping had strained the branch and was breaking it. Before he could think of moving, the branch snapped, sending both it and him falling off the tree.  
  
“Oh shit~!” Novabomb cried out as he fell.  
  
Thornstriker let out a horrified scream as she saw Bloodshed’s friend tumble out from the tree and toward the icy floor. She threw her hands over her mouth as she watched in horror, looking over to see Bloodshed had ran from his spot to catch him…  
  
Though, when he did catch him, both of them fell to the floor with a loud thump, a violent tremor shaking the ground. It threw Thornstriker off balance and she fell back into the snow with a sharp cry before a huge pile of snow landed on top of her and buried her under it.   
  
Bloodshed, who had taken the bigger impact when they had hit the ground, groaned when he sat up to see Novabomb draped over his body. The blue-haired man was looking at him with a small smile. “Good catch.”  
  
“Get off me, you jackass.”  
  
Novabomb laughed as he sat up, but did not get off of the prince. “Aren’t you a big ol’ Prince Charming? Guess you built some brownie points with-MMPH!”  
  
Bloodshed had scooped up a pile of snow before shoving it in Novabomb’s face, effectively knocking the other off of him. He brushed the snow off of him and looked back to Thornstriker, only to see the huge pile of snow where she had once been.  
  
His eyes widened as he jumped to his feet. “Thornstriker?!”  
  
Novabomb sat up when he heard his friend call out to his future wife. He ran over to a huge pile of snow and started digging into it, wearing a panicked expression. Oh… looks like one of the huge piles of snow fell on top of the girl. Damn, she must have been freezing.  
  
Bloodshed could focus on nothing, not even his hands hurting from the wet snow or when they got scratched as he grabbed handfuls of snow and sticks mixed with it, but getting to Thornstriker. God, what if something had been in that snow and it had hurt her? Or knocked her out? She could be breathing in the snow and drowning for all he knew and he just had to get to her and see she was okay!  
  
Shoving snow behind him, he moved to grab for another layer when a hand suddenly popped out. It took the prince a moment to register what he was seeing, but as the hand started to wave about frantically, he jumped into action. Grabbing it, he held onto it tightly as he moved away the snow as fast he could. A pull later, Thornstriker was out of the snow, coughing and shivering as snow crumbled from her petite figure.  
  
“Thornstriker?!” he cried out, his arms instinctively wrapping around her body and holding her up off the ground. “Are you okay?!”  
  
“Y-Yes…” she managed to cough out, her tiny hands holding onto the giant hands wrapped around her. She would have asked to be put down if his hands weren’t so warm. That pile of snow had been rather cold…  
  
Bloodshed let out a relieved huff, gently pulling her to his chest. She was shivering a bit and grasped at his clothes as he gently held her to his warm body. It certainly made her warner than before, holding onto him like this. Thank God… She was all right. He felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest from the small scare.   
  
“Aw~ How cute~”  
  
Both Thornstriker and Bloodshed perked up at that, Bloodshed turning looking over his shoulder at Novabomb, who had stood up and was now smiling down brightly at them. The prince narrowed his eyes and, still holding the princess to his chest, slowly rose to his feet to glare at him.   
  
Novabomb smiled at the glare though. “That’s a scary face.”  
  
“It was your fault she got trapped under the snow.”  
  
“Eh, she’s fine~!” He looked down at the human in his friend’s arms and smiled brightly. “Right? You’re okay, right?”   
  
Thornstriker nodded. “Wh-What about you? Are you all right?” she asked, wiggling a bit in Bloodshed’s grip to look directly at Novabomb.   
  
He gave her two thumbs up, ignoring the look Bloodshed continued to give him. Besides, the prince wouldn’t do anything to him so long as Thornstriker was around. “Not even a scratch! Thanks to your future hubby, of course. He cushioned the fall.”  
  
Thornstriker couldn’t help but to laugh while Bloodshed growled in his chest. Though he wanted to kill the man, he instead gently set Thornstriker down to the ground once he realized she was squirming against his hands.  
  
“You have no idea how heavy you are,” Bloodshed said, glaring at the shorter giant.   
  
“Meh, you’re fine.” Novabomb squatted down so that he wasn’t towering over the princess. “So what do you wanna do?”  
  
“I don’t-”  
  
“Come on, let’s do something fun! What do you have in mind?”  
  
“Um… Um, I-”  
  
“Let’s go back inside,” Bloodshed said, cutting in. He looked down at Thornstriker and gave a small huff. “I’m sure you’re still cold.”  
  
She nodded slowly.  
  
Novabomb pouted though. “But I don’t wanna~”  
  
“Shut up.”

Bloodshed leaned down and stretched out a hand to Thornstriker to carry her. She allowed herself to be lifted up into the air and brought up to his chest. Once he was certain that she was secure in his hold, her body resting against his chest on his arm, he turned around and headed back toward the manor.    
  
Novabomb whined and followed the two royals, grumbling to himself. Thornstriker couldn’t help but to laugh at the silly behavior. It reminded her too much of her brother Smokebomb. He had a child-like mentality and was a little slow when it came to learning. She remembered how one nanny of his would hit him because of this slow behavior. Though, when Thornstriker found out about it and told her parents, they never did see that nanny again.   
  
She paused for a moment. Smokebomb. He had always been incredibly attached to her. Did he miss her? Was he upset? And who was with him while she was here? They were the youngest, so they were incredibly close, but… Surely one of her other siblings was with him.  
  
And did they miss her too? And her parents too – did they miss her? It had only been a week and a half, but still… She missed them. She had been with them her entire life! She had never been away from them… Yes, Bloodshed was good company and so was his friend, but it wasn’t the same. She missed her family. Terribly.  
  
Bloodshed opened the door to enter the manor, holding it for Novabomb who gave a small sigh as he hung up his coat. “Yay~ Warmth~”  
  
“Weren’t you just complaining about how you didn’t want to come inside?”  
  
“Still – it’s warm.”   
  
Bloodshed huffed at the response, closing the door behind him as he gently set Thornstriker to the ground. The princess thanked him as she was set to her feet, taking off her coat as Bloodshed stripped out of his and hung it up. Thornstriker did the same on the human sized rack provided for the humans in the house.  
  
Finding herself depressed from her thoughts, Thornstriker gave a soft sigh and looked up to the two giants. “I’m sorry, but I’m feeling a little tired. I think I’m going to lie down.”  
  
“Are you all right?” Bloodshed asked, fearing that perhaps he had done something wrong. Well, he had let an entire pile of snow crash down on her. Maybe she was upset because of that.  
  
The princess nodded. “Yes. Just a little tired.” She looked up to Novabomb and smiled. “Today was fun. Thank you.”  
  
Novabomb only grinned.  
  
Giving the two giants a curtsey, Thornstriker turned away from them and headed towards the human stairway to the second floor. Maybe she needed to take a short nap. It would help her forget about her family for a little bit… Perhaps she could write them a letter later. It wouldn’t hurt.    
  
“Miss Thornstriker?”  
  
The girl stopped as she reached the human staircase, looking over to see Soundwave had turned the corner and was approaching her.   
  
“Oh. Soundwave.” She turned to face the other. “What is it?”  
  
Soundwave looked slightly irritated at the question, making her eyes widened. Had she said something wrong? She was about to ask when another giant figure walked into the room, smiling almost triumphantly as he approached the two women.  
  
“Sorry, Princess, but Soundwave’s going to be spending the day with me, if you don’t mind.”   
  
Thornstriker blinked, looking from Bombrush to Soundwave with wide and shocked eyes. Was he joking? Or was he telling the truth? She knew her maid didn’t like the king very much, so why would she agree to spend the day with him? Unless the king was forcing her… But he didn’t seem like the type of person to do that.  
  
Seeing the princess look utterly confused, Bombrush chuckled. “We had a little bet. I won, so now I’ll be borrowing your maid for the day. I promise to bring her back by the evening in one piece.”  
  
Soundwave’s face tensed, but remained silent, simply giving a nod to her charge.  
  
“Oh…” Thornstriker bit her bottom lip, looking from the king to her maid. Well, Soundwave didn’t seem to be protesting. But was it really all right?   
  
“I apologize, Miss Thornstriker, if this is inconvenient for you.”  
  
“Oh, no… No.” Clearing her throat, she said, “Well, if that’s what you two agreed on… I’ll see you later tonight, yes?”  
  
Soundwave nodded. She couldn’t find it in her to speak. At least not without her words sounding harsh and cruel. She couldn’t believe that she had lost a chess game to this man! And now she had to spend a day with him! Alone… With another man… It sent shivers down her spine at the very thought of it, but she didn’t dare say a word.  
  
They had made a deal, a bet. And she had lost. She had to go through with it.  
  
“Okay,” Thornstriker said, giving a small smile as she curtseyed to them before heading upstairs.   
  
Soundwave watched her go before looking back at Bombrush, narrowing her eyes at him as he just smiled, gesturing her to follow him.  
  
“Come on. I have some place I wish to show you.”  
  
“… Very well.”  
  
And Soundwave followed him obediently, hoping to get everything over with soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Before Bombrush had taken to the place he wanted to show her, he had Soundwave change out of her maid attire and into something more regal. She had refused at first, but when he brought up that she should do as he said since he did beat her at chess, she reluctantly changed into the dark blue gown he had provided for her. It was actually a nice fit and quite pretty, but she refused to make a comment on it. She only gave him a dark look when he smiled and told her how gorgeous she looked.   
  
Once changed, he led her out into the garden area. She hadn't been able to see much of it since she had arrived, considering she had been busy with other things. And despite being under so many inches of snow, the garden was quite a sight.   
  
Of course, much to her agitation, he attempted to chat with her.  
  
"You said you had sons, correct?"  
  
"... I do."  
  
"How old are they again? And what are their names?"  
  
"My oldest, Ravage, is eighteen. My twins, Frenzy and Rumble, are both sixteen. My youngest, Laserbeak, is fourteen."  
  
"And you've been widowed for how long?"  
  
"Eight years."  
  
He couldn't help but to laugh. "That certainly is impressive... You raised them all alone. And I'm assuming they all grew up to be fine young men?"  
  
"The twins have their mischievous tendencies, but they are good children. Ravage is a knight while Laserbeak is training to be a scribe."  
  
"Ah. So they all work for King Ultra Magnus, I assume."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Just like their lovely mother."  
  
Soundwave rolled her eyes at that.  
  
"Speaking of their mother, how did you end up working at the castle? Considering I understand that human women stay at home to raise children and be housekeepers."  
  
"My deceased husband was unable to keep a job. I worked in the castle as just a maid at first. When he passed, the Queen noticed I was carrying a heavy burden and showed compassion toward me. She allowed my family and I to live on the ground in a quaint cottage in the gardens while promoting me to be Miss Thornstriker's caretaker."  
  
Bombrush nodded to that. He wasn't too surprised at Queen Charlotte's actions. She had always been a kind queen. Pixela had been rather fond of the human queen, if he recalled correctly. And since it was obvious Soundwave was a good employee, Charlotte probably wanted to help as her way of saying thank you. Which was a bit silly, considering she was a queen and didn't need to. Still, it only made her look even kinder.   
  
He didn't miss the part about her husband though. He raised an eyebrow at that and looked down at her. "What was wrong with your husband?"  
  
Soundwave stopped walking. It had been a long time since anyone had asked her that. When they would ask before, she had lied and said that he had been badly injured during a raid that left his father dead and business in ruin; he hadn't been able to recover physically or even mentally. It was a pitiful lie, but it wait was better than revealing the truth.  
  
"Razorcut-" the name alone made her spine grow stiff and mouth taste vile "-was hurt during a giant attack. They killed his father and after that, the business collapsed. Razorcut's injury never healed properly, so he was unable to work."  
  
Bombrush didn't miss the hesitation in her answer. He eyed her for a few moments, wondering if he should ask if she was telling him the truth. Then again, even if he did ask, she would only get angry.   
  
If what she was saying was true, he wondered how her husband had handled it. It seemed that he had been earning so much before his supposed accident. Reduced to nothing. And he knew the stigma that went with humans about who earned more. Did he ever get angry with Soundwave because she was earning more than he did? He could imagine so.  
  
But he knew it wasn't his place to ask such a personal question. Unless he wanted her to get angry.   
  
“You’re quite admirable.”  
  
“I was only doing what I could for my family.”  
  
“Ah, yes, but from my experiences with human women, they wouldn’t know what to do.”  
  
“I was the only child of my parents. My father taught me to take care of myself while my mother showed me how to care for others.”  
  
“You had good parents.”  
  
“The best.”  
  
Bombrush laughed softly. “Too bad you aren’t a giantess. I definitely would have had you as Bloodshed’s nanny in a heartbeat.”  
  
She only nodded. He wasn’t the first one to say such a thing. She had had various noblewomen come up to her and ask if she would ever consider being the caretakers of their children. Of course, she politely declined all offers since she was content with her current position, especially considering Thornstriker was almost an ideal charge. She doubted she would take care of someone else as easy as her.   
  
Giving a heavy huff, she looked up to the giant. “Where exactly are you taking me?”   
  
“A small cottage my wife had commissioned. If she wanted to spend some alone time with me or just relax in peace by herself, she hid in here.”  
  
“… Alone time with you?”  
  
Bombrush smirked at that, causing Soundwave’s stomach to turn as she swallowed. Her body suddenly felt heavy and her spine felt like it was turning to liquid. He was going to do it. He was seriously going to do it. He was going to do exactly what Razorcut would do to her.  
  
And like before, there was nothing she could do to stop it.    
  
Soundwave was so wrapped up in the fear of what she believed was going to happen that she didn’t realize that she had stopped walking. Bombrush had walked a bit ahead, though he stopped when he noticed that the maid had frozen in her spot.   
  
He titled his head. "Soundwave?"  
  
The maid looked up at him, but she did not say a word. She almost asked if he would show her mercy, but she bit her tongue. Such a foolish request. Men never showed women any mercy. They used them for their own pleasure, only thinking of themselves and never their partners. Bombrush was the same. All men were the same. She had learned that a long time ago.   
  
Bombrush kneeled down in front of her. "Soundwave?" he repeated, titling his head. "Are you all right?"  
  
She swallowed and gave a nod, unable to find her voice. But she couldn't bring herself to walk, not wanting to be alone with him if those were his intentions.  
  
"Are you tired?"  
  
Would he let her go if she said yes? She found herself nodding before she could even think it through.   
  
"Oh. Why didn't you say so?"  
  
Before Soundwave could even think of a response, Bombrush stretched out his hands to the woman. She was confused for a moment, only to gasp and have her eyes widen when she was suddenly lifted off the ground. She grabbed his wrists, her stomach dropping when he moved to stand up.   
  
"What are you-"  
  
"If you're too tired to walk, I can carry you," the king said simply, giving a small smile as he pulled her into his chest, adjusting her in his arms. "It's not like you're heavy."  
  
"I don't enjoy being held like a doll." She hated not having a foot on the ground. He was literally holding her life in his hands. It made her stomach turn as her legs jerked, trying to get a foot on the ground despite it being utterly useless.   
  
"Don't worry - I'm not going to carry you like this," he reassured her. He moved her a bit to hold her like a young child, since she was the size of a giant toddler. It was much easier than holding her like some sort of doll. "There. Better?"  
  
Soundwave gave him a small glare when he looked at her, smiling in a teasing manner. "I would rather walk."  
  
"And I would rather you not," he insisted, looking away from her as he slowly walked forward, making sure the pace wasn't too jarring. "If you faint or collapse due to your tiredness, the snow will ruin your dress and you could catch a cold. Though I certainly wouldn't mind undressing you, there aren't any spare clothes back at the cottage that would fit you."   
  
Her eyes narrowed at the statement. She felt tempted to yank and rip out some of his hair for that, but decided against it. She didn't want to make him angry and have him turn violent, which she was certain he was capable of. So she said nothing, just holding onto him as he carried her toward the cottage, which was now coming into view.  
  
It was a very simply cottage, much to Soundwave's surprise. She thought it would be more... extravagant. But it was very simple, made out of fine wood. And though Bombrush's wife passed years ago, it was very neatly kept. It was certainly a nice little hut… Well, from what she heard, Pixela hadn’t been very showy; she was modest, humble. Or so she had been told.   
  
Bombrush pulled out a key from his coat pocket and unlocked the door. Gently, he pushed it opened and walked inside, Soundwave taking a quick look around. The furniture was old, but sturdy. There was a table in the center with a kitchen off to the side. Looking over, she was a comfortable couch against the wall and just below one of the windows. To her left, she saw an open door to what she could make out to the bedroom, since she saw a bed inside.  
  
And much to her horror, he walked inside the bedroom.  
  
Bombrush gently set the woman down on the large chair next to the dresser across the bed. Soundwave did nothing. She simply kept her eyes on him, making sure he didn’t leave her sights. She had to be prepared in case he was planning to force her. While she didn’t have the strength to fight him off, she could at least see if he was going to use anything “extra” during this forced copulation.   
  
“What do you think?”  
  
The question caught her off guard as she looked up at him. His back was still back to her as he moved to hang up his coat on the rack in the far corner.    
  
“The cottage. What do you think of it?”  
  
“… It’s very nice.”  
  
The giant king laughed. “My wife would have been flattered. She designed it herself. Or rather, she drew what she wanted and the builders did as she wanted.”  
  
When Soundwave didn’t answer him, he just assumed she had nodded to his answer. Well, he figured here would be a good place to speak with her. She wouldn’t be distracted with Thornstriker and he had her to himself, no interruptions. Considering it would take a long while before he could get her into his bed, he might as well be romantic about it.   
  
“Don’t be so tense,” he said as he walked back over to her. “Take off your coat and just… relax…” His sentence trailed off when he stopped in front of the chair, looking down at his guest with wide eyes.  
  
She had stripped out of her coat as he suggested, but she didn’t stop there. She was slowly loosening the corset on her gown, her shoes already on the floor with her sleeves pushed down, revealing more of her neck and collarbone.   
  
“Sound… wave?”  
  
“This is what you brought me here for, isn’t it?” Soundwave said coldly. “I won’t have my time be wasted with useless chatter. Do what you will.”  
  
Bombrush just stared at her with wide eyes for the longest time. She didn’t move to take off her dress anymore, leaving it as it was. She gave him a fierce glare, Bombrush seeing both fury and fright in her eyes. He wasn’t sure what exactly to think, though he was starting to understand perhaps why she didn’t like him. Or his son.   
  
Kneeling down in front of the chair, he slowly brought up his hands and moved them to her hips. Soundwave swallowed and tensed at the feel of those large hands against her body. Perhaps if he pulled her close enough, she could attempt to punch him in the eyes and run away. Though, she probably wouldn’t get very far and he would be angry, making this worse for her than it needed to be.   
  
She gasped as he pulled her closer, his arms wrapping gently around her body as he pulled her against his chest. Swallowing, her hands reached up to grab at his shirt. At least he was being gentle. She would be all right so long as he was gentle. She could forget about it and act like nothing happened if it wasn’t painful.  
  
Soundwave tensed when she suddenly felt his lips at her neck, planting a soft kiss on her snow-white skin. She shut her eyes tightly when his hands moved to the back of her dress, large fingers playing with the strings of her corset.   
  
His lips moved from her neck to her ear as he whispered, “Unfortunately for you, it ends here.”  
  
Her eyes popped open at his words, looking at his smirking face with wide eyes as he pulled back, his hands moved to her dress to straighten it back up.  
  
“Wha… What?”  
  
Bombrush couldn’t help but to laugh at the dumbfounded look on her face. “Sorry to disappoint you, but sex isn’t very fun to me if only one person is enjoying it.”   
  
He pulled her dress back up, reaching behind her and tightening the corset so that her dress would stay up. He just continued to smile as she stared at him, shocked by what he was doing. Did she really think him to be so vile? Sure, his flirting could be seen as excessive, but he didn’t think he was  _that_  aggressive.   
  
Soundwave was too stupefied to move. She could only stare at him, unsure of what just happened. Bombrush… hadn’t brought her here for that? But… Why else would he bring her here other than to have his way with her?! That was what men did… They used pretty words to manipulate women and then they turned into beasts in heat the second they were alone with them. She knew this – she experienced this!  
  
So why hadn’t he just pushed her down onto the chair and just had his way with her the second she showed he wouldn’t fight him? Men… liked that. Men enjoyed it when the woman just lied on her back and took it. It wasn’t something for the woman to enjoy. It was a man’s pleasure…  
  
“When you actually want to do it, then I’ll gladly take you up on your offer,” Bombrush said, slowly standing up as he looked down at her. “But until then, I’ll just keep flirting with you.”    
  
Soundwave just eyed him suspiciously. This... was too weird. She couldn't help but to be skeptical about his behavior. The man had made it clear from the beginning that he wanted to sleep with her. And now, when she gave them the chance to do whatever he wanted, he suddenly didn't want to? That made absolutely no sense to her.   
  
Unless... He didn't enjoy her just giving up. He did say he loved a challenge... Did he enjoy breaking a fighting spirit or something? She supposed that for a man, that would have been fun... To "domesticate" a woman. She narrowed her eyes at him before shaking her head, not sure what exactly to believe.  
  
Bombrush raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would be happy."  
  
"... I thought you said you wanted to sleep with me."  
  
"I do, but I want you to enjoy it too."  
  
She didn't answer him; she only stared at him with a skeptical look on her face.   
  
"It may just be me, but I don't find anything arousing about a partner who just lies there with a look on her face like she'd rather be buried alive. That's not very pleasurable for either party. And screams of anything but pleasure are a bit of a turn off for me, so I actively try to avoid forcing someone against their will."   
  
"Do you really?" she muttered under her breath.  
  
Bombrush's fingers twitched. He had been called a lot of things in his life. Perverted, childish, unruly, a playboy - he was fine with that. And he knew others would say he would think with his other head and he accepted that as well. But he loathed when he was accused of being a rapist. He had never forced any woman to do something she didn't want to. He found the act revolting and rapists were not tolerated in his kingdom; they were usually the first to be executed.   
  
Maybe his first assumption was correct. Perhaps she hated giants. Maybe her deceased husband had told her stories about his kind, considering giants had supposedly injured him greatly. Or had she been there to witness what had been done to her husband? Had she suffered too? It would explain why she was so hesitant to talk about the event.   
  
Controlling his anger, the king took a deep breath before looking down at the woman. "I will only say this once, Soundwave. I am not - and never will be - a rapist."  
  
She looked away from him, hugging herself. He was a liar. Men always lied. Her husband did constantly. And once he was gone, every other man she had come across would try to trick her. Flatter her and get under her skirt. Bombrush wasn't any different… He wasn’t…  
  
“Why do you think I would enjoy hurting you – or any woman for that matter – in such a horrific manner?”  
  
Soundwave perked up at the sound of his voice, looking up at him. Her eyes widened when she saw the rather irritated look on his face as he stared down at her. She swallowed, her hands unconsciously gripping the skirt of her dress in fear. A man’s wrath was utterly terrifying. She knew it was better to stay docile during it so he would be less inclined to hurt her.   
  
“I know what kind of person I am. I am a flirt. I am persistent. I tend to push myself into other’s business, even if they don’t want me there. I love being surrounded by and bedding beautiful women. But a rapist? Is that how you see me? Something as vile as that?”   
  
Soundwave said nothing, her head slowly falling down to look at her feet. The harsh gaze overwhelmed her and she could feel her stomach clench in fear. Swallowing, she tried to remain calm and not look him in the eyes.   
  
Bombrush bit his lip so that he wouldn't lash out at her again with words. He felt guilty for yelling at her, but God be damned if he were to accused of raping a woman! He was not a beast; he was the King of the Giants and any woman whom he bedded was one who was bedded by choice, often with a bit of sweet talk and charming on his part.  
  
But as he noticed her demeanor seemed to turn more submissive rather than aggressive as she had been before, the king suddenly had a horrible thought transpire through his mind. Why was she... afraid of him? She had flinched at his touch, almost never kept his gaze, and she was trying to make herself seem as small as possible.  
  
He remembered when he had seen a woman act like this before. Many years back, he had been present at a trial in which the accused giant was being tried with raping a giantess in his village. He could remember how... terrified she looked. With her head down, never looking her attacker in the eye, shaking and sobbing softly as the nature of the crime was described. Even when the giant had been put to death, the young giantess never looked at him, never raised her head. She was just curled up into herself, trembling and crying the entire time.   
  
Could it be... had those giants who had attacked her husband's convoy... had they...? Bombrush had to hold back the vile he thought he could feel coming up his esophagus, but he couldn't hold back the shiver that went down his back. Rape was a horrible and damaging thing, but that was often in giant on giantess and male human on female human. But when a giant raped a human woman... Lord have mercy, there were no victims at the trial of those giants. The woman had either died of the rape or from the injuries they received because of it. And sometimes, especially later when his men caught the giants during the act, they were killed out of mercy.  
  
Bombrush pushed those thoughts away. Though he had never heard of a living female human survivor of a giant rape, it didn't mean that some had managed to survive, though it may seem impossible. And he didn't have any proof that the giants who had attacked her husband's cargo had even done that. He had enforced the death penalty to all rapists long before this war, long before his wife had even died. It had done its part to decrease the amount of sexual assault in his kingdom.  
  
Perhaps a human had attacked her? It was possible; there were some human men who were disgusting and vile enough to force themselves onto women. And the laws in the human kingdom were not as strict as those in his kingdom. A rapist barely got a life sentence in the human kingdom and from what his sources told him, it was often hard to get a conviction for a rapist in some parts of Ultra Magnus's kingdom. He had no idea why, but once they had managed to restore the peace and such, he would have to have a long talk with the other king about those along with other topics.  
  
But as he looked back to Soundwave, he had to come to some sense about their argument. While it seemed like it, Bombrush had no proof that she had even been the victim of an attack. Yes, rape happened more often in the human kingdom than here and yes, being a single mother raising children would make her more of a target, but that didn't mean she was one. And he certainly wasn't going to just ask her about it. He was trying to earn her trust, not push her further away!  
  
Now it wasn’t even a matter of earning her trust to bed her. It was now him trying to reassure her that she was safe. That no harm would come to her or her princess.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down. This was delicate water he was treading. He couldn’t just say anything and that would suffice. Soundwave needed to be reassured, not frightened.   
  
Slowly, he sunk down to his knees so that he was below her eye level. Seeing her still looking down at her feet with her hands clenching at her skirt, Bombrush gave a small huff and stretched up a hand. Carefully and gently, he moved his hand under her chin. Soundwave stiffened as she was suddenly made to look up and at Bombrush’s now much gentler expression.   
  
“I don’t wish to hurt you,” he said softly. “I have no intentions of doing anything of the sort. I’m not like other men you may have encountered, Soundwave… At least I’m not violent like them.”   
  
Soundwave just stared at him.   
  
Seeing she wasn’t going to speak, he removed his hand from her, though he gently patted her head. Soundwave flinched a bit and reached up to push his hand away, calming down a bit when he moved to sit down on the floor, leaning back against the bed.   
  
"Soundwave... Let's try again."  
  
The woman blinked, looking to the king with a confused expression.  
  
"I don't want to frighten you," he repeated. "I have no intentions to hurt you or make you do anything you wouldn't want to do." Though, he gave a small light-hearted chuckle and shrugged. "I won't lie... I do still wish to bed you."  
  
Her eyes narrowed at him, glaring hard.   
  
He put up his hands. "I want to bed you though when you are willing, Soundwave. My goal was to seduce you, not force you."  
  
Soundwave continued to glare at him, her arms folding across her chest. "You keep repeating yourself."  
  
"I know. Because if I don't, you'll never take it as truth."   
  
"You can say the same thing over and over again and that doesn't change a thing."  
  
Well, her fighting spirit had returned. And honestly, it was certainly something he liked. This independent and no-nonsense part of her personality was admirable. And sexy.   
  
"Then let me change my speech." He sat up straight and made sure to look the woman straight in the eyes. He watched her stare back at him, her eyes looking a bit confused and unsure of what to think as she watched him. "It's fairly obvious we have... clashing personalities and goals, Soundwave. You just want to protect your lady and have my head on a post while I want to get to know you better and eventually bed you."  
  
"... If you hadn't have added your last intention, I might have said I wouldn't want to see your head anywhere other than attached to your neck."  
  
He chuckled. "Well, any way it is, I wish to protect you and the princess. And I wish to get to know you better. I promise I won't try anything else funny... At least for a long while. I won't lie to you and attempt to deceive you. Nor will I be so forward. Unless, of course, you allow it."  
  
She made a face as if to say that that would never happen.  
  
"Still... It would give me great pleasure if you would... agree to giving a relationship between us a chance. And I don't mean romantic or sexual. At least not yet, anyway. Just more of a... friendship. If you allow even that, of course."  
  
She frowned and gave him a small glare. Well… he did seem a bit more… honest than most men she encountered. She could admire for the fact that at least he wasn’t trying to hide his true intentions. And at least he was making it seem like she had some sort of choice in all of this. Though, she was sure if she said no, he would attempt to persuade her. And she didn’t really have the energy to fight with him on that.   
  
Seriously, it was almost as if Bombrush were some energetic and spoiled child. If he didn’t get his way the first time, he would just keep asking over and over again, pestering and begging without limits. It vaguely reminded her of Cometstar when she was a child. Except Bombrush wasn’t so much threatening to throw a hissy fit as much as he was threatening to beg mercilessly.  
  
She pinched the bridge of her nose. God, she suddenly felt a migraine coming. This man… was just so damn frustrating. If she were a giantess and someone of equal standing, she would have smacked him by now.   
  
“… Nothing more than an acquaintanceship, yes?”   
  
“Unless you wish to go to the next level, of course.”   
  
She huffed, giving up. “Very well. But it will never move beyond that point.”  
  
“If you say so,” he said, smiling.   
  
Well, at least he had finally gotten her to agree to something. This was certainly progress, even if she was just sort of giving up. No matter though. He  _would_  win this woman over one way or another, no matter how long it took.


	20. Chapter 20

Bloodshed stopped in front of Thornstriker’s bedroom door. It had been almost four hours since she went to go lie down. And, as far as he knew, she was  _still_  in there. He was worried. She shouldn’t have been that tired that she needed to rest for four hours…  
  
Giving a soft huff, he knocked on the door. “Thornstriker?”  
  
He didn’t get an answer. Frowning, he knocked again, though this time a bit more softly. Was she really still sleeping? If that was the case... was she ill? Normally one wouldn't rest for so long if they weren't... He pressed his ear to the door, hoping to hear her.  
  
But he didn't expect to hear sniffling or soft whimpers. Oh God... Was she crying?!  
  
He knocked again, more urgently. "Thornstriker? Thornstriker, are you-?!"  
  
But he heard the girl give a small cry just as something seemed to fall to the floor with a sharp thud. His eyes widened as he felt his stomach drop, thinking that he had startled her so badly that she had fallen out of bed. He threw the door open and rushed inside, terrified of what he might see.  
  
Much to his relief though, what fell on the floor was not his wife-to-be, but a wash bowl and cloth. He let out a reassured breath. He must have startled her and then she knocked over the bowl on accident. At least she hadn’t fallen like he had feared.   
  
Of course, when he saw how red her eyes were with tearstains on her cheeks, he panicked again and rushed to her bedside.  
  
“Thornstriker?” he said, alarmed. He kneeled down next to the bed, his hands reaching out to touch her. But remembering that he didn’t want to seem forward or too familiar, they hung in the air, the giant unsure of where to place them.    
  
Thornstriker looked away from him, shutting her eyes as she tried to wipe the remaining tears away with her hands.   
  
“Thornstriker, what’s wrong?” he demanded, his hands falling to the sheets beside her. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”  
  
She shook her head, continuing to wipe her tears away. “I-I’m fine,” she whimpered out as she tried to calm down. God, she probably looked like a child right now… She felt embarrassed and stupid for acting like this. All because she just had to have her little pity-party…  
  
“No, you’re not. Thornstriker – what’s wrong?”   
  
"I-I'm fine-"  
  
"You wouldn't be crying if you were fine."  
  
"I-It's nothing..."  
  
"Thornstriker..." He let out a heavy huff, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket to gently dab at her falling tears. "Don't lie to me... Your eyes are swollen and red. Something’s bothering you."  
  
The young princess said nothing, biting her bottom lip. While something was bothering her, she didn't want to bother Bloodshed with her personal problems. Especially since she worried he would take offense to it. But... She had never been away from her family for this long. In fact, she had never been away from her family period. She always had at least one member of her family close to her for her entire life.   
  
But now, all she had was Soundwave. And while she was usually always with her since she was nine, it wasn't the same as her siblings and parents. The ones she had been with ever since she was born. She knew it was just her being a selfish, spoiled child, but... She just couldn't help but be homesick. Terribly.   
  
Wiping away the remaining tears, Bloodshed reached over and gently patted her back. "Do you want me to get Soundwave?"  
  
She shook her head, trying to remain in control of her emotions. While she wished Soundwave was here to comfort her, there was nothing that could be done about it. Soundwave had to spend the day with the Giant King. She couldn't just disobey her host by having her maid just come back early from their day out. It would be so rude and selfish of her.  
  
"Are you sure, Thornstriker?" Bloodshed reached up again to dab at another drop on the corner of her eye. "I can make my father excuse Soundwave early if you truly need her."  
  
She shook her head. "I-I'm fine... I'm fine..."  
  
He frowned a bit. Why wouldn't she just tell him the truth? Damn it, he was freaking out here! Had he done something wrong? Had someone said something to her? Had she been hurt when Novabomb caused the snow to come falling down on her? Christ, it was driving him crazy! But he knew he had to remain calm and be patient, though that wasn't exactly his strong point.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Thornstriker... You can... tell me anything. I'm not going to judge you for it, if that's what you're thinking."   
  
The princess coughed as she held back more tears. God Almighty, now she was making her husband-to-be upset. She shouldn't be crying like a child in front of her husband! She was supposed to be an elegant and proper woman. What would Bloodshed think of her now that he saw her crying like this?!  
  
"I-I-I'm sorry."  
  
He blinked. "I - I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I...I know I s-shouldn't be doing t-this... n-n-not in front of you..."  
  
"Thornstriker, what are you talking-"  
  
"Crying... I-I shouldn't be doing this in f-front of you..."  
  
Bloodshed went from worried to confused to now more worried in a single moment. "Wh-Why do you-? T-There's nothing wrong with crying."  
  
Thornstriker shook her head. Yes, there wasn’t anything wrong with crying, but there was something wrong with crying over such trivial matters such as homesickness! It was so disgraceful…  
  
The prince felt like he was losing his mind as to what to do with the crying girl. Damn, how he wish he had more of his father’s skills at this moment! He never knew how to deal with women when they got emotional! But he never thought he would care so much before over someone else, let alone a human girl.   
  
“Please, Thornstriker,” he said, his voice on edge. “Tell me what’s wrong. Please?”  
  
She sniffled, shaking her head. "R-Really... I-I'm fine."  
  
"No, you're not," he said firmly, though he kept his voice soft so he wouldn't scare her. Slowly, he sat up more of his knees and brought up his hands again. Perhaps a little boldly, he rested them gently on her back and pulled her in for a hug.   
  
Surprisingly, she didn't seem to reject it. She even leaned into it, her little hands grabbing at his shirt as she buried her face into his chest. He was shocked that she pressed into him, unsure of what to do with the beautiful human so close to him. But then he heard her sniffle again, causing him to clear his throat as he gently patted her back.  
  
It didn't seem like she was going to tell him what was bothering her, so it looked like he would have to guess what the problem was. If she didn't want to tell him, maybe it was his fault. He panicked a little at the thought and quickly tried to think of what he might have done. Or maybe Novabomb had indeed hurt her when that pile of snow fell on top of her.   
  
"Thornstriker... Did... Novabomb scare you?" he asked, hoping to get an answer out of her. "When you were buried under all that snow? Did that scare you?"  
  
The young princess shook her head.   
  
All right, so it wasn't Novabomb. So then what the hell could it be?! Damn it, women were way too complicated. He really wished Soundwave was around. Not to see him holding Thornstriker to him because he had a feeling she would be furious about that and the last thing he wanted was for her to hate him. For a human woman, she seemed like quite the powerful enemy.   
  
Maybe he really should get Soundwave. She knew more about the princess than he did. And Thornstriker would probably be more open to Soundwave, as she was her maid. While he wanted to be the one to console her as her future husband, he didn't know what to do. He didn't "console" people. Hell, he couldn't even recall a time he would do so with his friends. He was just bad at it because, well, he never had tried.   
  
God, he was going to be a terrible husband if he couldn't even comfort his wife. Maybe he really did need to get Soundwave for this... And then ask his father and see if he could tell him a thing or two about comforting someone. Unless the man tried to give him stupid advice, which is what he normally gave him.   
  
Thornstriker kept herself pressed into the giant's chest. While she took comfort in him holding her like this, she felt so stupid and childish. This wasn't how a future wife would act. God, one day she was going to be his queen! She had to act like a dignified and proper woman! Bloodshed didn't want to have to deal with this nor should he have to...  
  
God, why couldn't she just like her mother or Soundwave or her oldest sister, Eclipse?! Such respectable women... And here she was, crying. She really hated herself for being so emotionally weak... Why couldn't she be stronger?  
  
Wiping away the remaining tears, Thornstriker took a deep breath as she calmed herself down. Leaning back from his chest, she let out a soft cough as she tried to compose herself. Bloodshed, seeing that she had calmed down a bit, slowly removed his hands from her body and let them fall to the sheets. "M-My apologizes, B-Bloodshed..."  
  
"Hmm?" The Giant Prince's head moved back a bit, confusion all over his face.  
  
"I...I feel so... c-childish for doing this... and r-ruining your dress shirt..."  
  
"I-It's nothing, Thornstriker. Look, there's no stain or anything-" he turned to look at the spot only to look back to see her pulling out her own handkerchief. He instinctively went for his own again to dry her tears, but she was already dabbing her own eyes, so he awkwardly brought his hand down.  
  
"S-Still... I'm making such a fool of myself... it...it isn't proper for a lady such as myself to behave this way..."  
  
Bloodshed wanted to groan in pain. God, he couldn't believe she was saying this. He understood proper behavior and etiquette in court, but why did everyone have to make such a fuss about women behaving that way  _all the time_? Thornstriker was in the privacy of her own room obviously troubled by something; she shouldn't have to behave so properly just because some old nut said it was proper centuries ago!  
  
"Thornstriker, please... you don't have to worry about that. I-I'm not upset or disgusted by your behavior. You're upset about something and it's okay to be upset if something is really troubling you. I... I'm just worried. I just want to know what's wrong."   
  
She sniffled, looking up at the worried giant. While she didn’t want to tell him in fear of him thinking her to be childish, he seemed genuinely concerned as to what was upsetting her.  
  
Could she tell him? Would he be angry? Sympathetic? Annoyed? She wasn’t sure… Though she had a feeling he would continuously ask if she was all right or not until she gave him a real answer. And she didn’t want to lie to him. Not to mention she wasn’t very good at it.   
  
Taking a deep breath, Thornstriker looked up at him and said, in an incredibly timid and soft voice, “I-It’s just… I… I’m…”  
  
Bloodshed perked up a bit. Was she going to tell him? But when he saw her close her mouth again, he gave a small push. “Yes? What’s wrong?”  
  
Thornstriker gave up and hung her head in shame as she murmured out, “… homesick.”   
  
He blinked. Did he heard right? “You’re… what?”  
  
“Homesick,” she said a bit louder this time, but even more humiliated than before. “I… I’ve never been away from my family this long. Really, I’ve never been away from my family… And… I’m just… homesick…”    
  
Bloodshed just stared at her, almost dumbfounded. She… was homesick? That was all it had been? Homesickness? He felt a wave of relief come over him, leaning back a bit. He had thought it been something he had done. To know that it wasn’t his fault or something that Novabomb had done was relieving.   
  
Of course, now, he had to find a way to comfort her when he didn’t even know how. He had never been homesick before. If anything, he was usually always sick of being home. It was why he went out so much when he was younger. But still, he wished he knew what to say to comfort her since, unlike him, she got along with her family. Of course she would miss them!  
  
Clearing his throat, he gently moved a hand to pat her back. “It… It’s okay, Thornstriker. I… I understand.” Not that he really did, but he couldn’t just say nothing. He had to try.   
  
“It-It’s not that you’re not tr-treating kindly,” she added quickly, fiddling with her thumbs. “I-I just…”  
  
“I know… You… Just miss your family.”  
  
She nodded.  
  
He tried to think of something to say. God, what cured homesickness? He had never been homesick! He had never had any trouble with this sort of thing! And he never knew anyone prior to Thornstriker actually being homesick…   
  
Still, he had read a collection of books about various characters being homesick… Perhaps he could use one of the realistic methods they had used to, if not cure it, just relieve it slightly.   
  
“Well… You can always write letters to them.”  
  
Thornstriker blinked, looking up at him. “L-Letters?”  
  
Bloodshed nodded. “Writing to them… It should make you feel less lonely, right? I mean… you’ll be able to communicate with them. I’m sure they would like hearing from you too.”  
  
She bit her bottom lip. Yes… that was true. While it wasn’t the same as talking face to face, at least it was a means of communication. It was better than not talking to them at all…  
  
“And… Maybe in a few months… We could go see them.”  
  
Thornstriker’s eyes widened at the suggestion. “See… them?”  
  
“Yeah… I mean, there’s nothing wrong with visiting them for a few days in a few months, right? I’m sure they’d be happy to see you too.”   
  
Bloodshed just watched with relief and a pinch of happiness when he saw Thornstriker’s expression brighten up. Good. He had said something that actually made her feel better. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her feel worse. He hoped that she would be happier now that she knew she would have some communication with her family.   
  
“I’ll get you some paper and an ink pen, okay?”  
  
She gave a small smile as he slowly stood up. “Thank you.”  
  
“And… Thornstriker?”  
  
She titled her head to show that she had heard him.  
  
“If… you’re feeling upset over something again… Please tell me next time.”   
  
Bloodshed didn’t say it harshly or in a scolding manner. It sounded more like a simple plea with the girl. And he was pleading, practically. He wanted her to trust him, to feel like she could come to him about anything. He was to be her husband… She should have been able to tell him about her problems and he would do his very best to make sure they were taken care of.   
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and pushed some of her hair out of her face. She felt a bit embarrassed for making such a big deal out of this. The Prince didn’t even seem to care about it. Maybe she should have been honest with him about it… But Eclipse and her mother would always tell her that a proper lady knows how to keep her feelings under control and solve her personal issues alone. Was she not being a proper lady by childishly running to Bloodshed to help with her problems?  
  
But… it couldn’t be that awful to at least share some of her issues… right? She knew her father went to her mother about things. It should have been acceptable for her to do the same… right?   
  
Seeing her look uneasy, Bloodshed quickly added, “On-Only if you’re comfortable sharing with me. I-I mean… As your future husband… I want to be able to support you emotionally as well. So… you don’t need to hold back your feelings.”  
  
Thornstriker slowly nodded. Well… when he put it that way… she supposed that maybe she could go to him if she ever wanted to talk to him about something that was bothering her and she needed to talk to someone. If Soundwave wasn’t available or able to help her with the issue, of course. She couldn’t bother him for every little problem. Just… maybe the more important ones.   
  
“I’ll go get you that paper and pen now.”  
  
“O-Oh, yes. Thank you.”  
  
Bloodshed turned away and walked out of the room, heading toward the library. Well… he was able to help her. God, he felt like he had just performed some sort of miracle. He never thought she would tell him what was actually bothering her…  
  
But she had. Did that mean she trusted him? That had to be it. You wouldn’t share your troubles with just anyone. You shared them with someone you trust, someone you thought would listen, would help… And she must have trusted him to be that certain someone.  
  
Not knowing he had a smile on this face, Bloodshed went to the library to retrieve the human-sized paper and pen he promised.


	21. Chapter 21

It had been a month since Bloodshed had told her about writing letters to her family. Thornstriker was delighted to find out that her family had also been hoping to write to her as well and started sending letters back and forth. Everyone was doing well back home and they too missed her like she missed them. Especially Airstream, who was greatly concerned over her safety. His letter back to her contained nothing but question after question about how she was doing and how Bloodshed was treating her. For whatever reason, he didn't seem to like Bloodshed.   
  
She didn't see why though. Bloodshed was incredibly kind to her. The entire time she had been here, he was always trying to do things to make her happy. In fact, his kindness toward her actually helped her feel less homesick. When the weather was warmer, he would take her on walks. He would have tea with her if she wanted any. They played chess once in a while too. They would even sit together and simply read in each other's company.   
  
The only day she never spent any time with him was on Tuesdays. He usually left right after breakfast with Novabomb and wouldn’t return until after supper that same evening. Aside from that though, they spent time with each other every day and Bloodshed was always trying to make her happy.   
  
The little things like these made Thornstriker feel more... attracted to him. He was very sweet and attentive to her needs. He was always making sure she was comfortable and happy. And she was happy. If this was how her life would mostly be from now on, she certainly wouldn't mind it.   
  
Despite this, she couldn't help but to be concerned about her maid. Soundwave didn't seem happy here, though the maid tried putting on a pleasant appearance in front of her. Still, Thornstriker knew that she must have missed her family. She must have been lonely... It didn't help that Soundwave didn't seem to be making friends with the other human servants like she had been making.  
  
Thornstriker couldn’t help but to feel guilty. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked Soundwave to come with her. That had been horribly selfish of her… Her maid had a family to take care of her. She wasn’t her only responsibility. Maybe she could ask her mother if she would send her another maid so Soundwave could return home.   
  
Though, King Bombrush would have been sad if that were the case. He visited once a week and while he did chat and check up on her, he mostly seemed to fond over Soundwave and try to chat with her whenever she permitted it.   
  
Currently, Thornstriker was sitting in the parlor while reading a book with Soundwave, who was busy sewing a dress that was tattered at the seams. Apparently a servant girl didn’t know how to fix it so Soundwave offered to help. Thornstriker wasn’t sure if she was doing it because she was trying to be nice or doing it because she was bored. At least she was doing something to possibly entertain and distract herself.   
  
The young princess peeked up from her book to look at her maid. She seemed to be all right, but again, she always put on a composed face when they were together. Was there something wrong and she just wasn’t sharing? She wanted to help Soundwave like she helped her… Soundwave meant a lot to her.  
  
“S-Soundwave?”  
  
The older woman paused in her sewing and looked up at her lady. “Yes, Princess?”  
  
But Thornstriker suddenly felt small under her maid’s gaze. While she wanted to know what was wrong, she just wasn’t sure how to necessarily bring it up and try to talk to her maid about this. It probably would have been better if she hadn’t tried to speak.  
  
Still, she had already gotten her attention, so she had to say something. “H-How’s the dress coming along?”   
  
Soundwave eyed her for a few moments. The princess was like an open book. It was quite sad sometimes... But there wasn't much she could do about it. She looked back down at the dress and started sewing it again. "It's coming along well."  
  
"O-Oh... Oh good."   
  
"Yes. Now, what did you  _really_  want to ask me?"   
  
Thornstriker flinched a bit. She really hated it how Soundwave could read her so easily sometimes... But she found herself cowering back from her question, hanging her head a bit as she rubbed the back of her neck. Maybe it would have been better if she hadn't have said anything at all.   
  
When the princess remained silent, Soundwave paused again and slowly put down the dress on her lap. Even though she could read her charge easily and know when she was lying or skipping around the subject, she couldn't read Thornstriker's mind. She knew something was troubling the girl, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Her first thoughts went to possibly the Giant Prince, but she hoped it wasn't anything that bad.  
  
"Thornstriker... are you being troubled by something?"  
  
Her neck snapping up, the princess resisted the urge to hang her head again as she saw her maid staring at her with concern.  God, she had now made Soundwave even more worried about her!  And to think that her maid might have other problems she was facing by herself already.  Whether it was homesickness or loneliness or perhaps being in the presence of giants, Thornstriker just had to find out!  
  
"N-No, Soundwave... I..."  
  
"Thornstriker?"  
  
'I'm... worried about... you."  
  
Soundwave blinked. Thornstriker... was worried about her? She couldn't help but to be slightly confused. Why would Thornstriker be worried about her? Soundwave was the one who should have been worrying about her. In fact, she was always worried about her young charge. She was the one who was naive about things. How could one not worry? Thornstriker was still just a child! So why would a child be concerned about an adult like her?  
  
When her maid just continued to stare at her, Thornstriker cleared her throat. "I-I mean... Um... Soundwave, you don't seem... happy here."  
  
Soundwave titled her head, narrowing her eyes as if confused.  
  
"Well... I mean... Do you not like being here?" she asked, rubbing her hands together. "Do you... not like giants? Because... You always seem a bit... down. And-And if it's not the giants... Are you homesick?"  
  
Soundwave blinked. Down? Homesick? Where had Thornstriker gotten an idea like that from? While she did wonder how her boys were doing and did miss them, she had written them the week before. It wasn’t as if she had no communication with them.   
  
“Thornstriker, I’m fine.”  
  
“But… You seem… sad.”  
  
“I’m not.”  
  
“But… You don’t look happy here, Soundwave.”  
  
The maid let out a soft breath. Well, Thornstriker wasn’t necessarily wrong. She wasn’t excited to be here. The king, whenever he would visit weekly, always, without out fail, came to talk to her about whatever conversation he could wrangle her into. The king always made her feel exhausted by the time he left. He refused to give up on the idea of befriending her.  
  
And she didn’t trust anyone here. That was the main thing about living here. There was no one here she really trusted. She was a bit suspicious of Bloodshed when he would go off on his own every Tuesday without much notice and then return much later looking rather… haggard. Novabomb was also a strange character and she didn’t like him or their giantess friend Nebula.   
  
As for the servants, she conversed with the women from time to time, but wasn’t close to them. She never talked to any male servant alone. Even when she did talk to them, it wasn’t for very long. She knew better than to be alone with any man… even though she found herself alone with Bombrush whenever he would come and visit.  
  
But, so far, he hadn’t attempted anything. That didn’t mean she enjoyed conversing with him. His intentions were anything but pure. She didn’t want anything to do with him. Yet, he just wouldn’t leave her alone.   
  
“Miss Thornstriker, I’m fine.”   
  
“Please, Soundwave… Please don’t lie to me.”  
  
She picked up the dress and went back to sewing. “I’m not, Thornstriker. There is nothing wrong with me. I’m perfectly fine.”   
  
Thornstriker couldn’t help but to deflate a little. She knew Soundwave wasn’t being honest with her and, truthfully, it hurt. Soundwave was always there for her. And she wanted to be there for Soundwave. Did she not think she was capable enough to help her with her troubles? Or did she think she just couldn’t do anything for her?   
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the parlor door. Thornstriker jumped while Soundwave looked up, neither expecting someone to knock. "Y-Yes?" Thornstriker said as Soundwave went back to sewing the dress.  
  
The door opened, Bloodshed coming into the room.  
  
"Oh. Bloodshed."  
  
Soundwave glanced up at the prince before turning her attention back to her craft.   
  
"What brings you here?"  
  
The prince cleared his throat. "Sorry to bring this up so suddenly, but we need to go to my father's castle."    
  
Both women perked up at that, looking to each other before looking back at the giant prince. Go to Bombrush's castle? Why would they need to go there?   
  
Seeing both of them looking confused, Bloodshed cleared his throat and attempted to explain. "Bombrush's advisors told him how word had gotten around about our engagement... They said it would probably be for the best for us to officially announce it. And introduce Thornstriker to the public." He glanced at Thornstriker again, who blinked at the idea.   
  
"Why so suddenly?" Soundwave demanded.  
  
Bloodshed gave a defeated shrug, an annoyed looking coming over his face. Not at the question, but more so the idea of having to go back home so unexpectedly. He had not been a fan of this decision, but there wasn't much he could do. "I don't know. King's orders, I guess. I'm not exactly thrilled about it though."  
  
The maid gave a small laugh, shaking her head.   
  
"So... I'm being introduced?"  
  
"Yes. We'll have to leave tomorrow. We'll be there for about four days." Then he huffed and looked back to Soundwave." You don't have to go if you don't wish to, Soundwave. You're more than welcomed to stay here." He knew his father was trying to seduce the poor woman. The least he could do was give her a chance to be away from the bastard for a little while longer and not needlessly drag her to his domain.   
  
Soundwave couldn't help but to appreciate the incredibly kind offer. The last thing she wanted to do was be around the king more than necessary. But still, there was no way she could stay behind while her charge went into the heart of the Giant Kingdom. She would alone, defenseless. Soundwave didn't care if Bombrush and Bloodshed had promised to protect her. She wasn't leaving her alone with anyone.  
  
Besides, Bloodshed might have only asked her to stay behind because this would be the perfect opportunity for him to do whatever he wished to Thornstriker. And Soundwave wouldn't be there to stop it or even know about it. And even if Bloodshed - or Bombrush, considering how much of a womanizer he was - didn't do something like that, that didn't mean there wasn't any scum lurking around in the castle. She didn't even want to think about it.   
  
"No, I'll go," she said.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I'm certain."   
  
"Oh... All right." Bloodshed was shocked. He had thought for sure Soundwave would have said no, considering how much she didn't seem to like his father. Then again, she  _was_  incredibly protective over Thornstriker. Maybe it shouldn't have been so shocking to him.   
  
"So... what do I have to do, exactly?" Thornstriker asked.  
  
"I'm actually not too sure myself," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I'm going to assume it'll be a large gathering where Bombrush will make a small speech and we'll be announced."  
  
"Oh... All right. Do I need to do or bring anything?"  
  
"I don't know if you'll need to give a speech or anything. But just bring a few casual and comfortable dresses and personal items. We have plenty there regarding cosmetics and whatnot for humans. And you don't need to bring anything fancy. We have seamstresses who will make something."  
  
"Oh. I see..."   
  
"Isn't that a lot of work?" Soundwave questioned, raising an eyebrow. "For them to make a dress in one day... Miss Thornstriker brought dresses with her that are elegant enough for an introduction."  
  
"My father said he had something in the works for a dress for her. I don't know what he thinks sometimes."  
  
"... Very well." Soundwave was a bit annoyed and suspicious by this entire thing. It was far too sudden. She wondered if the king was planning something. She wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case.   
  
Bloodshed nodded. “Again… I’m sorry to just push this one you.”   
  
“O-Oh, no… No, please don’t worry about it,” Thornstriker insisted. “What time do we leave tomorrow?”  
  
“In the late morning.”  
  
Which meant that she needed to start packing now. She turned to Soundwave. “Will you help me pack?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“Do… Do you need any help?” Bloodshed asked as the two human women got up from their seats. “I can-”  
  
“Oh no, it’s quite all right,” Thornstriker replied, smiling at the prince. “Thank you though.”  
  
“… Are you certain?”  
  
She nodded.  
  
“Oh… Okay.”   
  
Both women curtseyed before leaving the room. Though Soundwave gave him a dark look before exiting with her lady. Bloodshed stood there for a few moments before giving a soft huff, reaching up to rub his eyes. He wished his father hadn’t just sprung this upon him. He would have liked to have given his bride a little bit more time for something like this. After all, every lady he knew needed a lot of time to pack all their important items for any journey, even if it was a short trip.  
  
Which reminded him that he still had a lot to do before tomorrow morning. He needed to leave orders for the servants to take care of the place while they were gone. And to prepare for his 'shipment' from the main castle. If there was one thing he was glad about this trip, it gave him the opportunity to make this gift he had for Thornstriker more of a surprise. And he would be able to show it off to her when it was ready. Yes, it would be a while before everything was prepared, but at least she and Soundwave wouldn't see everything being brought it when it got here.  
  
Sighing, Bloodshed turned around to leave the parlor and head back to his room. He still had to get some packing done before he got the servants together later tonight to give them their orders. He didn't know how long he would be with the servants, but he wanted to be sure they understood his instructions clearly. He didn't want to mess up this gift.


	22. Chapter 22

Thornstriker had not been expecting the carriage. Well, she wasn't expecting a normal carriage for her and Soundwave. She thought they would have to ride horses to get there. Apparently, Bombrush had in his possession a human carriage to transport her and Soundwave to places.  
  
She could still remember how Bombrush, who had arrived that morning, laughed when he saw the look on her face. Soundwave had also been surprised, fully expecting to ride a horse as well.   
  
But the king obviously had different plans in mind when he said,  _"Just because we can’t ride around in comfort doesn't mean you shouldn't have to. Don't worry, my guards and I will stay with you and the horses, so you won't have to worry about anything."_  
  
So currently, Thornstriker and Soundwave were sitting in the carriage, facing each other. Bombrush was in front of the carriage while Bloodshed was on the right and Novabomb was on the left. Nebula had also shown up that morning, much to Thornstriker’s surprise, so she was covering the rear of the carriage.   
  
Thornstriker glanced out the back of the carriage at the duchess. It was strange… One wouldn’t think she was a duchess considering her clothing choice at the moment. She wasn’t wearing a dress, but… pants. Armor. Boots. A fitted warrior’s outfit. It was strange, considering there weren’t any female knights in the human kingdom.   
  
“Are you nervous?”  
  
The sudden question snapped Thornstriker out of her thoughts as she turned back to look at her maid. “Wh-What?”  
  
“Are you nervous?” she repeated.   
  
“No… No, that’s not it.”  
  
Soundwave raised an eyebrow. Thornstriker knew better than to lie to her. She could always tell when she saw trying to pretend everything was fine when she understood that things weren’t. “You’ve been quiet the entire time.”  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip. All right, so she was indeed a bit nervous. But she couldn’t help it! She… was going to be introduced to Bloodshed’s people today as his wife-to-be. And she would eventually be… his wife and one day be queen of his kingdom, with him as king. She wanted the people to like her, for his sake.  
  
But what if they didn’t? What if no one liked her? Simply because she was human? Or because she did something wrong or uncustomary? She didn’t want to embarrass Bloodshed or herself. She wanted to be accepted, she wanted people to think that she would be a good wife and a good queen for Bloodshed. She didn’t want them to see her as just silly human child…  
  
“I just worry about what they might say about me.”  
  
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Soundwave said. “You’re well-liked back home being you. It’s going to be the same here.”  
  
“But I’m human… And… the tensions between our kingdoms–”  
  
“I’m confident in your abilities to charm the people.”  
  
Thornstriker blushed. Charm? Her? No… She didn’t “charm” anyone. She was just herself and she had been fortunate enough that people seemed to like her for who she was. Besides, she only tried to treat others the way people needed to be treated. Fairly and kindly.   
  
“I… I just don’t want them to dislike me.”   
  
“They won’t.”  
  
“You don’t know that though,” she said softly, rubbing her hands. “I-I know not all giants hate humans, but… What if a majority doesn’t approve me because I am a human? What if they grow to dislike Bloodshed because he chose to marry a human like me? I… I don’t want this to damage his credibility and approval ratings…”  
  
Soundwave nodded in understanding. She had forgotten how well educated Thornstriker was in this field of politics. She and her oldest sister Eclipse understood their princess duties the most out of the five sisters. They both understood their positions and how everything played together in the royal political world.  
  
She couldn't help but to be a bit disheartened though. Thornstriker never really had to think of this sort of thing before... And yet, now and quite suddenly, here she was, forced to think of her position and how it could affect her future husband. She was so young too and she didn't have the kind of personality that many of the more cut-throat leaders had out there. Not to mention she was a bit oblivious at times and was far too trusting, making it easy for people to take advantage of her, though she had been fortunate so far that no one had yet.  
  
Still, her friendly personality did have its advantages. She was a very trustworthy person and it was easy to see that she had a pure and kind heart. More people were drawn to her over her siblings because she was so open and kind. It made her more approachable and likeable, which is why she was the favored princess back in their home kingdom. And while, yes, her new people would be giants, Soundwave was sure that many would like her as well, so long as she was herself.  
  
"Thornstriker," she said gently, stretched out a hand and resting it on the princess's. "It's going to be all right. Just be yourself and everything will be fine."  
  
"B-But shouldn't I-"  
  
Soundwave was already shaking her head. "You can't pretend to be someone you're not. People will like you for who you are. I know they will."   
  
"Yeah! You should listen to her, Thornstriker!"  
  
The voice started both of the women, Soundwave snapping her head up while Thornstriker jumped. They both looked out the small window to their left, seeing that Novabomb was looking at them with a huge smile on his face. The princess blushed, realizing that he had heard everything that they had been talking about. Soundwave's eyes narrowed, not liking that the other had invaded their conversation.  
  
"Shouldn't you be standing guard?" she said coldly.   
  
"I am~ I'm just super bored. Besides, you two looked so cute, just sitting around in your carriage and being all pretty~ Especially you, Thornstriker, you're like a little doll."  
  
Her cheeks darkened even more as she turned her head away, feeling even more embarrassed than she already was.  
  
Soundwave was not amused at all. "I thought the prince had told you off of saying such degrading things."  
  
Novabomb almost looked hurt. Almost. "But I was just complimenting Thornstriker.  She's so pretty and kind and gentle. I can bet all my savings that all the giants in attendance today will love her!"  
  
"Either way, you wouldn't be losing or gaining much considering how much of your earnings you actually save," Nebula added as she watched the whole thing with a smirk. Bloodshed didn't seem to paying attention as his head was still facing forward and they couldn't see Bombrush's face to see what he was doing. Though his shoulders shaking was a good indicator at what he might have been doing.  
  
"D-Do you really think they'll like me?"  
  
"Of course they will! Considering the heir is Mister Grumpy Pants over there, they'll love having you as the queen-to-be!"  
  
Bloodshed mumbled something before he turned to look around his side for anything unusual.  
  
"Wh-What do you mean?" Thornstriker asked, titling her head.  
  
Nebula had to laugh. "Hun - seriously, do you even know these two?" She gestured to both Bombrush and Bloodshed, who both glanced back at her before turning back to the main road. "You've got the king here who - despite him being a pretty good ruler and fair and progressive and shit -  _loves_  to just hang around and relax when he's not too busy chasing skirts while Prince Sunshine over here is completely standoffish and aloof that people aren't even sure if he even likes anyone. You'll be a blessing to the kingdom if you think about who we have in charge here."  
  
Bombrush gave a laugh to that. All right, Nebula did have a bit of a point. He  _did_  tend to be rather lazy at times, but he still did his work, so it wasn't as if he was a bad king. Just not so forceful and more lax. And his son... His advisors were concerned about him, considering how Bloodshed always had this dark look on his face and people thought it was him being contempt toward the common people. Which was anything but true, that was just Bloodshed's face.  
  
"All right, so we're not ideal royals," Bombrush chuckled, shaking his head. "But we're not all  _that_  bad."  
  
"But she's not wrong about you being lazy," Bloodshed muttered, giving his father a look.   
  
While the prince would admit that his father was a good king, it didn't mean that he hadn't messed up once or twice. Nothing major, but things like forgetting about or delaying an important meeting because he was busying fooling around with some woman or because said meeting was too early for his liking. Bombrush was  _not_  a morning person and hated getting up earlier than he wanted to. Hell, he was like a completely different person when he was woken up before he wanted to be awake. It was always a nightmare...  
  
Novabomb laughed. “It's impossible to get King Bombrush to do anything productive before noon.” He finally returned to standing straight up because of the kink in his neck. "If he's not downright angry with you, he's walking around like a possessed corpse."  
  
Thornstriker giggled. "That sounds just like my sister Cometstar. She's very cranky when she gets up. It's well after breakfast before she stops acting all grumpy with everyone."  
  
Novabomb laughed again.  "Sounds like your sister and the king would get along well!"  
  
Bloodshed made some kind of gagging sound that he had managed to suppress while both Nebula and Bombrush burst out laughing. Thornstriker, not getting all of what Novabomb had alluded to, blinked in confusion as to why the others were laughing. Soundwave was perhaps the most composed out of them all minus the look of disgust in her eyes.  
  
"Well... I'm sure they would be good friends-"  
  
"Oh yes... very good  _friends_ ," Nebula added.  
  
Soundwave had had enough at this point and cleared her throat. "Lady Cometstar... prefers men different from that of the king."  
  
"Oh~?"  Novabomb leaned back down to look at the maid. "Like who?"  
  
"Lord Static - her husband to be - is a very kind and attentive man-"  
  
"Oh trust me, my dear Soundwave," Bombrush interjected, chuckling darkly. "I can be quite 'attentive' myself."  
  
Soundwave bit her tongue, not wanting to lash out at the king. Still, she continued to say what Lord Static was like, trying to keep the conversation from going back to anymore sexual innuendos. Though, it was quite a challenge with Bombrush, who had the skill to do that with almost anything she said. What made it worse was that he was now directing it towards her instead of making a general statement.   
  
She prayed they would get to the castle soon or else she thought she would burst.

* * *

It took about three hours before they finally arrived at the heart of the giant kingdom. Thornstriker had been overwhelmed by the greeting the people gave. Everyone was cheering and clapping and screaming out to the king and prince, calling out to them.  
  
It only made Thornstriker even more paranoid about what the public would think of her. Though Novabomb and Nebula had said that Bombrush and Bloodshed had their flaws, it was obvious that they were incredibly liked and popular among their people. Especially among the women... They acted just like Cometstar whenever she saw Lord Static. Very giggling with those flirtatious smiles.   
  
She could not embarrass Bloodshed. She had to make sure that a marriage to her would not cause a decline in his popularity. Or the king's either. Still, her nerves were at an all time high. While she knew being genuine and herself was probably the best approach, what if they didn't like her because they thought she was too childish? Or again - what if they hated her just because she was a human? She couldn't change that.   
  
She glanced at her husband to be. Well... She could understand what Nebula meant by "standoffish." While he was addressing and acknowledging those who called out to him, he didn't really smile or say anything to the ground. He just nodded to people and gave a soft expression. A great contrast to his father, who was smiling and waving and answering people when they called out to him. No wonder he was so popular - he was incredibly sociable.  
  
She could see that people were trying to look inside of her carriage, most likely to get a good look at her. Though she wanted to be proper and wave to the people, Bombrush had instructed her to remain hidden until she was announced to the public. He said it was to add to the suspense of the reveal, mainly for his own amusement. So she forced herself to remain hidden as Bombrush and the others blocked the public's view of her.  
  
It wasn't long before they were inside the castle walls, though she could still clearly hear the cheers from the crowd. At least she wasn't as overwhelmed as she had been before. Though, she noticed that there were hardly any human servants when they were greeted at the front gate. Perhaps Bombrush hadn't had time to hire humans to be a part of his staff.   
  
Still, she didn't mind giants helping her. It actually seemed to go much quicker for them to unload luggage. Though, some human servants did help her and Soundwave out of the carriage before they were escorted into the king’s grand castle.  
  
Speaking of Soundwave… Thornstriker glanced at her maid. As she thought. Poor Soundwave was tense and on high alert. The princess knew that the older woman was incredibly weary of strangers, always uncomfortable around them. Especially and always men. She didn’t know why and she had never asked since Soundwave probably wouldn’t tell her, but still. She felt bad for her and wished there was something she could have done.   
  
They were currently walking behind the king. Novabomb and Nebula had gone off to prepare for the announcement while Bloodshed and Bombrush were escorting the two human females to their room.   
  
“I hope you both will find the castle most comfortable,” Bombrush said as he led the others down the hall. “If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”   
  
Thornstriker was trying to listen, but she could not stop herself from looking around the castle. God, it was so... beautiful. It was so majestic with its high arches and rounded ceilings. It wasn't as regal as her own home, the castle of the giants almost had a sense of... it was hard to say, but it almost seemed to compliment their roots as nomads among the wild. Instead of granite and marble designs in the wall and ceilings, dark oak and stone decorated the entirety of this castle.  
  
It seemed logical, considering the giant's economy didn't have the centuries humans had to produce and manufacture some expensive materials. But despite that, she found it to be... charming. It was like a mysterious castle in some of her fantasy stories. One hidden deep in the woods or mountains and one that held a mysterious prince under a-  
  
She quickly shook her head as she felt her face begin to heat up. Lord Almighty, what was she doing? Thinking about silly things like fairy tales and magical princes at a time like this? She was supposed to be preparing for her introduction to her future subjects! She had to act proper and act as the princess of her father's kingdom. She was representing the future union between her father and Bombrush's kingdoms!  
  
But then she felt a bit glum when she realized what it was she had to do. Yes, she had to act as if she wanted this marriage. That she loved Bloodshed and wanted to be with his for the rest of her life. That she never wanted to wait and hope to find someone special like the princes in her stories.  
  
Thornstriker looked up at the two giant royals. Bombrush seemed to be talking with Soundwave, who still seemed tensed, and Bloodshed was still looking forward as they walked down the long and winding hall. No, she couldn't think of Bloodshed like that. He had been forced into this as well, even though he did have the choice of choosing between her and her sisters. But even then, his choices were chosen for him already. What if he had wanted to wait to find someone? What if he had had an idea for a wife that he always wanted? Just like she had had a dream of what her husband would be like?  
  
"Well then, I think this may be the best time for us to go our separate ways."  
  
The princess blinked before quickly stopping, nearly running into Bombrush who had stopped to turn around to face them. Bloodshed raised an eyebrow as he came to a stop, standing off to the side from the ladies. "Why?"  
  
"Because... Thornstriker needs to get her dress ready for the announcement."  
  
"I thought you had everything ready for today." The Prince was now glaring at his father, clearly frustrated with the older man talking around in circles.  
  
"I do." Bombrush smiled as he walked over to clap his son on the shoulder. "I'm just saying that you should take Thornstriker to where the seamstresses are and help her get a dress ready for today's event. That's really the only thing we're waiting on."  
  
The younger giant looked confused for a moment before his angry face returned to brush his father's hand off. "And what other business do you have?"  
  
Another smile answered him before said giant turned to the ladies, specifically Soundwave.  "Well, since your bride-to-be will be here for a few days, I imagine that Ms. Soundwave will still be taking care of her charge even though the castle is more than prepared to service her, am I correct?"  
  
Thornstriker didn't see her maid's angry look at the Giant King, instead nodding slowing in agreement.  
  
"So, I figured while her charge was getting fitted, I could show Ms. Soundwave around. I wouldn't want her to get lost around our big and spacious castle. Trust me, we've had a few human guests get lost in these corridors sometimes."  
  
"...What?" Soundwave was the first to make a noise following the king's suggestion, followed by the Giant Prince slapping his hand against his forehead. Thornstriker jumped at the clap of the slap.  
  
"Well, I would have shown both you and Thornstriker around the castle after the announcement, but the whole castle will be quite busy trying to get ready."  
  
"Ready for what?" Both Soundwave and Thornstriker asked.  
  
"Oh dear," Bombrush said as he turned to his son again. "Didn't you tell them?"  
  
Bloodshed sighed as he finally brought his hand down, his face still exasperated as he shook his head. "I though you had told them."  
  
"Told us what?"  
  
Chuckling, Bombrush lowered himself to his knees. "Well, after we present Thornstriker to the kingdom, there will be a meeting."  
  
"A meeting?"  
  
Bombrush nodded at the princess's question. "It's nothing too important. Just a few important giants along with myself and Bloodshed. We'll just be talking."  
  
"About what?" Soundwave coldly asked him, earning herself another chuckle from the king.  
  
"You know, current events, royalty status, Bloodshed's upcoming wedding and all."  
  
Bloodshed groaned.  
  
"But you shouldn't have to worry about it. Well, if you wish to come Thornstriker, you can. But it'll just be a bunch of old grumps like myself and Bloodshed just talking politics. Boring and mandatory stuff that I wish I didn't have to go to."  
  
“But you have to – don’t try to skip out on this like you always do.”  
  
Bombrush gave a deep chuckle, shaking his head. All right, so there were a few times he would occasionally try to forgo his kingly duties, but it wasn’t like he was the only royal in the world that did that from time to time.   
  
“I don’t see why – you’re the one going to be king one day, you should be learning how to do my job, don’t you think?”  
  
“I’m not the king yet because you’re not dead or sick enough for me to take control. Until then, do what you need to do and stop forcing me to do it.”  
  
Bombrush gave a chuckle to that. Yes, that was true... He did try to duck out and have his son take his place from time to time with these meetings. But they were only ones that he thought weren't that important. Besides, Bloodshed may have been a prince and knew how to do his royal duties, but there were still a few things he had to learn. Bombrush believed in a hands-on approach to learning things, so sometimes he would forgo his attendance to the lesser important meetings and have Bloodshed act in his place.  
  
From what his advisors told him, Bombrush could tell that Bloodshed would be a fine king when the time came.  And with what he's seen of Thornstriker these past few weeks, he was sure she would be a great match for his standoffish son. He would be firm and fair while her charm and personality would appeal to the masses. It wouldn't be long, he thought, considering how all the servants in their little manor liked her already.  
  
"Anyway, I'll be a bit busy welcoming the other giants and all before the meeting. So Bloodshed, why don't you escort your wife-to-be to get her dress ready while I show Soundwave around?"  
  
Bloodshed didn't know if he wanted to groan or punch his father in the face... God, he knew that smirk from anywhere and damn it, he couldn't believe his father was trying something like this on the day of his  _wedding announcement_. His father chasing his future wife's maid skirt – oh, that would sound wonderful on the tongues of the entire Kingdom. He didn't need Thornstriker to have such scandal on her just after her presentation to the kingdom.  
  
And from what he could see, the maid was also not too happy about being escorted around by the King... again. He knew his father wasn't one to give up, but seriously? To still be trying after a woman he should know better then not to cause rumors with? And with the fragile state of the two kingdoms and this whole arranged marriage?  
  
He wanted to tell the man off, but he knew he couldn't. After all, Bombrush was still the King and even if he didn't have to listen to him, the older man was too stubborn. He doubt the other would just let him say no without a back up plan to get him to be alone with the maid.  
  
Bloodshed sighed. There was no getting around it and knowing Bombrush would have his way one way or another, he gave in. “Fine. I'll take Princess Thornstriker to the seamstresses."  
  
"Excellent," Bombrush clapped his hands before turning back to the ladies still on his knees. "Princess, the seamstresses will need a bit of time to make the best dress for your presentation, so its best you hurry along now. And don't worry, Bloodshed isn't one to peek, so you don't have to worry about any peeping Toms."  
  
The Prince groaned heavily behind him.  
  
"Umm... Will-?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Thornstriker grasped her dress harder in her hands as she brought her head up to stare more directly into the King's eyes. "Will... Can Soundwave be at the presentation with me?"  
  
Bombrush chuckled. He didn't blame her; it was always nerve wrecking making your first appearance to your future kingdom. Reaching up, he gently patted her shoulder (and head by accident because of how big his hands were) to reassure her. "Don't worry, I promise to bring Soundwave back before the announcement."  
  
"I hope so. You tend to be late for these sort of events."  
  
Soundwave's tense shoulders did not escape the king's eyes as he laughed and stood up to face the other royal giant. "I promise to keep track of the time. Besides, I'm sure one of the staff will remind me beforehand." He turned to Soundwave, motioning his hand for her to follow him.  
  
Soundwave hands balled up and clenched into fists, but quickly released them as she relaxed her body. She looked to Thornstriker and bowed her head, following the king. The young princess bit her bottom lip as she looked up at her husband-to-be, who looked just as awkward as she did as they looked down at each other.   
  
She finally swallowed and found some words to say. “S-So… Um… I suppose you’ll be leading the way then?”  
  
“Y-Yeah… Yeah…” He coughed, clearing his throat as he kindly gestured her to follow him.   
  
She took a deep breath and nodded, quietly following behind him. Though they fell into silence as they walked, she didn’t mind it since she wasn’t in the mood for much chatter. She was more focused on her own inner troubles.   
  
So. She was finally going to be introduced to Bloodshed’s people. There was no avoiding it. It was going to happen. Glancing up at Bloodshed, she wondered if he was worry about it too… Or embarrassed. It was obvious just how well loved and respected he was in his kingdom if she was going by the greeting outside when they had first arrived. Would he be embarrassed to tell his people that he was marrying some… weak little girl like her?   
  
"No, I wouldn't be."  
  
Thornstriker's eyes widened, looking up at Bloodshed, who was looking back down at her. "Wha-"  
  
"I'm not ashamed to tell my people I'll be marrying you."  
  
She stiffened, cheeks turning bright red. Oh God, she had said that out loud! She looked away from him, feeling incredibly small and stupid for not keeping her thoughts to herself. Could she be any stupider?!  
  
Bloodshed gave a soft huff, shaking his head as he kneeled down in front of her. Poor Thornstriker... she was definitely nervous. He didn't blame her either. He was nervous too... But mainly because this would make their marriage official to the public. There was no way to back out of it. Not to mention he hated crowds and people staring at him all the time; they just made him uncomfortable. But he honestly didn't care as to whether or not they thought Thornstriker was suitable for him. He wanted to marry her. He couldn't even think of anyone else.  
  
"Thornstriker... You'll be a good wife. I know you will. I... already enjoy your company now."  
  
The young princess blushed at the praise. God, she felt so overwhelmed by all of this that she wasn't sure what to think of it... Yes, others had praised her before, but they were mainly her parents, siblings, or her teachers. Never by a giant that she was going to marry!   
  
Seeing that she was getting more and more embarrassed, Bloodshed decided to spare her (and himself) of such awkwardness. Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet and gestured for her to follow him. "Well... Shall we?"  
  
"Y-Yes..." she said, giving him a nod.  
  
Then he turned and guided Thornstriker down the hallway towards the seamstresses. He could only hope she would like the dress.


	23. Chapter 23

Soundwave wasn’t sure how it happened, but Bombrush had somehow led her out into the garden. And while she would admit it was a rather magnificent area, she couldn’t exactly admire it since she was too busy deflecting everything Bombrush said. Though, she found herself a bit thankful that he had visiting her when he did his weekly visit; it allowed her to have some practice verbally defending herself against him.   
  
“I’m amazed by your persistence,” she commented, looking up at him as they walked down the pathway that guided them around the garden. “Most men would know when to give up.”  
  
“Most men aren’t very dedicated, that’s all. I, however, am very dedicated to something once I put my mind to it.”  
  
“How charming.”  
  
“You believe so?”  
  
“As much as the town drunkard can be.”      
  
Bombrush threw back his head and laughed. He was certainly never bored with Soundwave. While he wasn’t simply trying to get up her skirt anymore, he couldn’t help but to find her attempts to wave him off rather sexy. Just with the way she carried herself and how she handled herself… Strong and full of grace and obviously having a great sense of wit. He found it to be incredibly attractive.   
  
“Your Majesty.”  
  
Both Bombrush and Soundwave paused in their walk. He turned around to see one of his men coming towards him. The servant stopped a little bit in front of him and bowed. Bombrush gave a head nod to him as he looked back up.    
  
"Sorry to interrupt, but the advisors would like to have a word with you."  
  
"Again?"  
  
"They say it's urgent."  
  
"They say everything is urgent..." And knowing them, it would probably just them wanting to double check with him on a few things. Why were they always calling him out when he was doing much more amusing things? Not to mention he preferred being in the company of a beauty as opposed to a group of stubborn old men.   
  
He turned to Soundwave. "Sorry, my dear Soundwave, but it appears that I have some urgent matters to attend to."  
  
"Leaving so soon?" she said, her voice clearly reeking with sarcasm. Good - she could actually get away from him while she was here. It would probably be the only time she would have to herself without the king trying to lift up her skirt.  
  
Bombrush laughed. "Fortunately, not for very long, I'll be back." He turned to the servant. "Will you escort her to the lounge area of the garden?"  
  
"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but the advisors told me to escort you to the meeting right away."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Do they find me to be an infant?"  
  
"... They said it was to make sure you... didn't wander off to try and avoid it, Sire."   
  
He gave a short huff. Well, his advisors certainly knew and understood him well enough. He knew he would just have to get this over with. Besides, if he dismissed the servant, they would just said guards. And if Bombrush dismissed them, then one of the five advisors would just come get him themselves. And if he got this over with quick enough, he could rejoin Soundwave again.   
  
"Very well." He looked back to Soundwave again. "Just follow down this path and you'll reach the veranda. Wait for me there, yes?"  
  
"I think it would be best for me to just head back inside and check on Princess Thornstriker, wouldn't you agree, your Majesty?"  
  
Not a bad escape plan, but she had forgotten that she was in his domain. His rules, his way. He shook his head. "Though that isn't a bad idea, you would just end up getting lost, no doubt. And we wouldn't want that."  
  
Damn. And here she thought that this was her chance to escape. Well, though she couldn't necessarily get out of it, at least she would have a few moments to herself. So, out of respect, she bowed to the king as the servant escorted him and she turned to walk down the path. At least she could enjoy the rather nice garden scenery in peace.    
  
It was a very large and magnificent garden. Very well kept and very pretty. Not to mention serene and peaceful. It was even better than the garden at the manor they resided at, but she supposed it was only to be expected considering how this was the royal palace. It only made sense of it to have the best garden in the kingdom.   
  
She saw the lounge area that Bombrush was referring to and slowly made her way over there. She was in no rush though, considering she had no idea when Bombrush would return and she was enjoying the scenery. By herself and observing it all, she found herself very relaxed. Despite Bombrush's unwanted attention, the castle seemed like a very nice place.   
  
Once she reached the lounge area, she noticed how there were steps by the seats for humans to use to get on the furniture. Either humans before had used this area or it had been set up recently for her and Thornstriker. Though, she didn’t rule out the former considering she knew that the king seemed to be attracted to humans as much as he was attracted to giantesses.   
  
She suddenly found herself to be tired. Not to the point where she wanted to sleep, but… just tired. She even lied down on the comfortable lounge bed as she looked up at the sky. This was the most relaxed she had been in a long while. Probably because Bombrush wasn’t bothering her and she wasn’t looking after Thornstriker currently. Not to say she wasn’t still thinking of her, but still.   
  
Letting her guard down, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The garden definitely had a calming and relaxing atmosphere. The smells were sweet, but not overpowering, and the sounds were gentle and relaxing.  
  
But, just as she started to get comfortable, she felt a horrible tingle in her stomach. It reminded her of that same tingle she would get whenever Razorcut would come home from the bars that kicked him out. Unsettling. Frightening.  
  
She immediately opened her eyes and sat up when she couldn't just shake the feeling off. Turning her head, she saw a giant standing off to the side, staring at her. He immediately straightened up and came more into view, no longer hiding behind some bushes.   
  
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."  
  
Considering he had been watching her from the bushes for who knows how long, any other woman would have become stiff and frightened. Not Soundwave. She pushed back the fear to let determination and disgust rule her actions.  
  
"May I ask what were you doing?"  
  
"My apologizes, ma'am. I had seen you when I had been walking by, but I couldn't recognize you as any of our human staff. As guard to King Bombrush and his son, Prince Bloodshed, I had to make sure the castle grounds had not been infiltrated by an assassin of some sort."  
  
That had to be the most pathetic excuse she had ever heard. Did he seriously think she would believe that? Any good guard would have either struck fast or demanded her name and purpose for being there. His sneaking around only meant one thing: he wanted her and he didn't want anyone else to know.  
  
But there were times to be demanding and start berating. And then there were times for playing innocent before turning them on their heads. She had to be careful with this one; she wouldn't be able to fight her way away of this man… or rather, this giant.  
  
Should she give away her true identity as that of Thornstriker's personal maid? Perhaps that would be enough to get him off her... unless he was a man like the king and that he didn't care who she was.  
  
"You shouldn't worry," she said, politely bowing her head. "I'm no assassin, just Princess Thornstriker's maid."  
  
"Ah. So you're the maid the king had told us about. He seemed fond of you when he spoke of you."  
  
Soundwave bit the inside of her lip. Of course he spoke of her to even his staff... That perverted king was either an idiot or just loved to blabber away to anyone who would listen to him. Or more likely just an overall blabbering fool.   
  
"Yes, I am." She didn't say any more. There was no telling just what King Bombrush had told everyone. Or what rumors it had caused.  
  
"Not to be rude, but I was informed that Princess Thornstriker would be getting ready for the announcement today up in the castle. Why are you out here instead of with your charge?"  
  
Right to the point, wasn't he? He didn't seemed deterred by her identity as the maid of the Prince's bride-to-be, but he did seem to be treading cautiously. Judging by his glances to the side and all, he was probably afraid of getting caught doing something inappropriate if they were anywhere nearby.  
  
She would rather not fuel the flames she could imagine the rumors had going, but she could not let this man know that she was literally alone and defenseless out here.  
  
"The Princess did not require my help with her dress fitting, so the King offered to show me around the castle."  
  
"The King did?" An eyebrow raised up. So he had heard some rumors...  
  
"Yes. King Bombrush insisted that I know my way around the castle so that I could better serve my lady for the next few days. Princess Thornstriker enjoys the gardens most for they remind her of home, so the King was showing me the gardens."  
  
The guard was quiet for a few moments. Soundwave wondered if he was going to dismiss himself or continue to talk to her some more. His silence made her anxious though. Then he looked away, glancing around from side to side, making her even more anxious. Was there really no one else in the garden aside from him?   
  
Finally he turned back to her. And she couldn't stop herself from paling when a dark look came over his face as he smiled. Her body suddenly went cold and stiff, flashing back to the days when her husband was still alive. And drunk. And beating her or forcing himself on her. She couldn't feel her spine for a moment, hands grabbing at her skirt and gripping it tightly.   
  
"The King is rather kind, isn't he? How has he been treating you?"  
  
It took her a moment to find her voice, but when she did, it wasn't as strong as it had been before. "He... treats me... well."  
  
"Oh really? Well, I can't be too surprised. He always treats beautiful women well."  
  
Soundwave found herself growing more and more terrified. He wasn't even doing anything... but the way he spoke. His smile. His very presence - it reminded her all to well of Razorcut. Even when the giant moved his hand out toward her to touch her hair, she found herself unable to respond. Or even move.  
  
One of his large fingers curled around a strand of her long hair, playing with it gently. "You shouldn't let it go to your head though. As I said before... The King always treats beautiful women well. But nothing ever comes of it."  
  
"What… What are you talking about?"  
  
"You, my dear... It's quite obvious what the King wants and from the looks of you, you're not the type to let such a good opportunity go by."  
  
She wanted to run. She wanted to run so badly. But she couldn't... she couldn't move. She was powerless; she couldn't fight off a giant like she had tried with her husband. He would simply break her before having his way with her.  
  
"Women like you... growing older by the second and stuck babysitting little princesses until they're no longer little flowers anymore." His finger curled up more around her hair to near her face. "You won't have anywhere to go once the Princess marries Prince Bloodshed. She'll have an entire castle of servants and maids to do her bidding. You'll be tossed away like a broken doll... and that's what you were trying to avoid by indulging the king."  
  
"No... No, I-"  
  
"Don't try to pretend, my dear." His finger reached out to caress her cheek, but she knew he was only pushing to see how far he could get away with her before he had to break her. "You've been letting our king fuck you ever since he laid eyes on you. You're hoping he'll let you be one of his whores, don't you? Live a nice life in his brothel attending his needs?"  
  
No. No, she had never done that. She had sworn to never let herself laid anywhere close to such a... despicable place.  
  
"Sorry to break it to you, but he won't bother putting you in there. He'll just throw you away too.  King Bombrush has bedded many young maids and servants and just thrown them away. And they all up in the same place..."  
  
She didn't want to ask. She already knew. Young women who had no place in the castle had to resort to drastic means to keep a good life. Or else be stuck on the outside doing the same to the horrible men of the population.  
  
"But I'll cut you a break. If you play nice with me, maybe I'll keep you around as my personal bed warmer long enough for you to enjoy it. It's not like you'll find much employment elsewhere."  
  
When she saw his hand reach out to grab her, her entire body froze. She had opened her mouth to… she didn’t know. Yell? Cry out? Scream? Even if she wanted to though, her throat had closed up. Her mind flashed back to when her husband would attack her. Force himself on her. Beat her when she fought back.  
  
It was like she had dipped in a lake of ice. She couldn’t even breathe, terrified with the idea that she was going to be abused. Again. Even when she felt his fingers graze against her sides, she just sat there. Frozen. Terrified.  
  
But before he could wrap his hand around her arm, a hand clamped down over the guard’s wrist. He was promptly yanked away from her, his arm being twisted into a painful position. The man’s cry of pain made Soundwave jolt, looking up to see that the guard’s arm had been twisted and pinned behind his back, a dagger at his neck.   
  
Blinking a few times, her eyes widened when she saw it was Bombrush who had grabbed the man. The guard seemed to realize it too, standing stiff with wide and terrified eyes. Of course, it probably didn’t help that he had a blade at his throat. And though he wiggled a bit, hissing and grunting in pain from his arm being pulled in a painful position, Bombrush didn’t even seemed faze by his struggle.   
  
“Now, what do we have here?” the king said. It sounded nothing like how he normally sounded. The man was calm and almost sounded pleasant… But there was a dark, sinister tone to his voice that made Soundwave shudder. And she wasn’t even the one he was addressing.  
  
“Y-Your Majesty–”  
  
“That’s no way to treat a lady, soldier. Especially not when she’s a special guest.” He twisted his arm more, making the guard cry out in pain.  
  
“S-Sire, y-you’re break-”  
  
“Oh? Am I hurting you?”  
  
“Please, Your High-”  
  
Bombrush put the knife more up against his throat and growled in his ear, “You know the laws of the land… Yet, even in my own castle, you attempt to break one.”   
  
He removed the dagger from his throat, but grabbed the back of his head and slammed him against one of the pillars, breaking his front teeth. Soundwave could have sworn she heard the man cry out in pain, but she wasn’t focusing on what she heard. Only what she saw.  
  
“You’re a disgrace of a guard,” Bombrush snarled, his tone no longer frighteningly calm, but dark and filled with rage. “You’re hereby relieved of your duties. You have an hour to collect your things and escort yourself off the premises. And if I ever find you wandering around here again, I’ll personally carry out your punishment. Do you understand?”  
  
“Y-Yes, Y-Your Majesty-!”  
  
Bombrush yanked him back by his hair, bringing him to look at his face. The guard, whose face was now bloody, paled when the king leaned in and growled, “Consider yourself lucky. Now get out of my sight.” He shoved the other away, who stumbled a bit before giving a weak bow and running off.   
  
The king huffed, putting his dagger back into its holding place. Then he turned to Soundwave, seeing her stiff and petrified with what had just happened. He immediately kneeled down in front of her, now holding a gentle, concerned expression.  
  
“Soundwave? Soundwave, are you all right?”  
  
She swallowed, trying to find her voice. She opened her mouth to answer him, but found herself unable to. She just stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to say something. She didn’t even realize she was shaking, still overcome with fear at the idea of being abused by that guard.   
  
Seeing the maid tremble, Bombrush cursed at himself. Why did he leave her alone? He should have just have brought her with him… It wasn’t like what the advisors had to tell him was anything even remotely important. It was why he had returned so quickly! Only to find that some… guard was about to assault her.   
  
While he knew not all men were good, he didn’t think that he had such lonely scum working in his castle. He would definitely have to see look into his men’s activities outside of guard duty. He refused to that have that sort of filth inside his castle walls.  
  
Gently, he rested his hands on her back and pulled her for a hug. She didn’t reject it, probably still in shock over what had just happened. He patted her back, his other large hand gently petting her hair.   
  
“You’re safe, Soundwave,” he assured her in an attempt to soothe her. The poor maid seemed traumatized and he felt like he was speaking to a child rather than a grown woman. But he supposed that was only natural after something like that. “He’s gone now. I’m sorry I left you alone. I didn’t think about this happening. I’m sorry.”  
  
Soundwave just sat there as he held her to him. Though she was still shaking… the warm embrace slowly calmed her down. She didn’t realize that her hands were slowly coming up to grip at his at his clothes. Tightly. She was even pushing herself into his chest, a calm feeling coming over her. She no longer felt cold and her heart was returning back to its normal rate.  
  
She closed her eyes when she heard the king’s soft apologies. She felt safe. It was almost as if these arms could and would protect her from everything. And she wouldn’t have minded that at all.  
  
“Have you calmed down now?”  
  
She slowly looked up, seeing him look down at her with a gentle expression. Soundwave blinked a few times, as if snapping out of a trance. She soon realized that what had happened and that the king was now holding her in a rather intimate embrace.   
  
Immediately, she straightened up and pushed herself away from him. Since his hands weren’t locked in place, she was able to push them away as well, leaning back as far as she could in her spot as she looked up at him. He just blinked at her reaction, not expecting it.  
  
Then a dark look came over her, which made him give a small smirk. Well, she had certainly returned to normal now.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.  
  
He brought his hands down to his side as he stood up. “Just comforting a lady in need, nothing more.”  
  
“I didn’t need any comforting–”  
  
“For the record, you  _did_  hug me back, so it wasn’t like you completely hated it.”   
  
He smirked when he actually saw her cheeks redden a very light, almost barely noticeable shade. Well, he had caught her there and he couldn’t help but to feel slightly proud of himself for that.   
  
Jokes aside though, he was glad to see that the woman was all right. When he saw that... giant, he had been tempted to stab him. But he did not want to frighten the human nor did he want to cause some scandal in the middle of his son's marriage. That didn't necessarily make the feeling of wanting to kill the giant go away, but it did make him think more rationally.   
  
"Are you all right now?"  
  
Soundwave blinked, confused.  
  
"Are you feeling all right?"  
  
Oh... Oh, he was referring to what happened before. She cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes... I am... Thank you. For... saving me." While she never thought she would ever sincerely thank the king for anything, she knew she had to. Besides, she was indeed grateful that he had come when he had. She didn't even want to think about what the other would have done to her had Bombrush not shown up.   
  
He bowed his head to her. "You're welcome." Then he moved to sit down on the seat diagonal from where she sat. Once he was comfortable, he leaned back in his seat and smiled. "I'm always ready and willing to help out a beautiful woman in need."  
  
She frowned. "You're making me want to take back my gratitude."  
  
"Doesn't matter - you've already given it to me and you can't take back that fact that you have."  
  
Her eyes narrowed at him, making him chuckle. While he knew that he was probably irritating her, he had a feeling that she was grateful that he trying to make her comfortable by acting normal again. She seemed to be much more relaxed, now focused on beating him at this new game of wit.   
  
Still, while she had moved past it, he made a mental note to always make sure both Soundwave and Thornstriker had trustworthy guards around them at all times. He did not want to have this sort of thing happen again. Especially not with Thornstriker.  
  
He doubted Bloodshed would restrain himself from killing the bastard.


	24. Chapter 24

Thornstriker knew that the dress being made for her was supposed to be pretty, but she never expected it to be  _this_  elegant or refine. She was overwhelmed with the detailing of the stress, not to mention it was in her favorite color and the fabric was so soft.   
  
She was in the seamstress room, wearing the dress as the human seamstresses (a team of three, she noted) worked out the small details of the dress, such as fixing the fitting around the bust and the hem. She felt a little bad, knowing that the three of them had probably been working on this for a while now. She didn’t want anyone to do any extra work just to please her…  
  
She glanced over her shoulder. Bloodshed was also in the room, sitting on a lounge chair across from where she stood. She blushed when their eyes met and turned away to look back at the mirror.   
  
Bloodshed also felt a little embarrassed when she looked at him. Unlike her though, he did not blushed and maintained a neutral expression. Mainly because he didn't need the other women in the room gossiping about how he blushed over his... future wife. He was known as the "Stone-Faced Prince" in his kingdom and while he wasn't a fan of the nickname, it was better that people didn't think he went around blushing like a stupid brat around a girl he liked.   
  
He looked over her dress. God, there was so much detail going into it. He didn't understand why. She wasn't going out and greeting anyone personally. She would be up on the balcony and far from the crowds. There was no way they would be able to notice such detailing!   
  
He couldn't say that out loud though. Especially since Bombrush had hired these human seamstresses to come work for him despite the hostilities. And they were doing at fine job at crafting the dress - it was indeed very beautiful. He was starting to hope that maybe she would wear it again... It looked... really nice on her.   
  
He wasn't alone on that thought. Thornstriker thought the dress was beautiful too. And she could see the detailing better than he could. There was much more of it on this dress than most of her other dresses. She secretly hoped she could wear it again... It was just so beautiful. Not to mention comfortable.   
  
Though, she had a feeling that it wouldn't last long. Her older sisters had some elegant dresses, but they often fell apart after only a few wears. These types of dress were made to look nice, not last long. Which was a pity, especially for this dress...  
  
"Is there something wrong, Milady?"  
  
Thornstriker snapped out of her thoughts as she found herself staring back at the elder seamstress in front of her whose eyes were filled with concern. "A-Ah! N-Nothing..."  
  
"Princess Thornstriker, please..." She lowered her hands with cloth and needle slowly to focus on the young lady. "If you have any concerns, you are free to voice them here. We are only here to service you and provide you the best dress possible."  
  
Thornstriker felt her face brighten up again. "Ah-No! I-I mean, its nothing. There's nothing wrong."  
  
"My lady, you don't need to be embarrassed," one of the two working behind her spoke up. "This is your dress. If you are uncomfortable with a hem or do not like a certain design, it would be disrespectful to not say so."  
  
"I-It... It would?"  
  
"Yes, princess," the elder one answered her again. "Our jobs are to make the ideal dress that you will love. If we finish and you do not like it, then we have failed our duties."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Yes," the last seamstress added. "We wouldn't deserve our titles as the best seamstresses in the kingdoms if we made a dress our client did not like."  
  
Thornstriker couldn't help but be a little embarrassed. She hoped she hadn't offended any of these women... It was a beautiful and comfortable dress - she certainly had no complaints. Not wanting them to think wrongly and worry (or feel insulted), she said, "I... I was just... wondering about the durability of the gown."  
  
"Durability?"  
  
The princess nodded. "I know that often times, fine dresses such as this can be easily ruined after a few wears... It's very beautiful and I would like to wear it again, so I was curious as to how durable it was."  
  
"Oh," the eldest said. "You don't need to worry about it. This gown has been made to last a long while."  
  
"R-Really?"  
  
The youngest of the three nodded. "We never use easily torn fabrics - dresses are creations that are to last as long as the wearer wants it."    
  
"I-I see..." Thornstriker blushed as she brought up her hands to her cheeks. That was good. At least she could wear this again. Not that she had any idea when she could.  
  
Bloodshed also breathed a silent sigh of relief when he heard that as well. Well, at least he could hope to see her wear it again. He wasn't sure if it would be anytime soon though. He knew royal women didn't like to wear to the same clothes that often.  
  
"Prince Bloodshed?"  
  
He turned to the door. A young messenger was at the door, opening it just a crack to whisper that call to him.  
  
Bloodshed didn't say anything, merely looking back to make sure Thornstriker was occupied by the seamstresses. The reason he didn't want her to be aware of the messenger was quite simple. Bombrush was the likely suspect to have sent the young giant and seeing as how he had done this to have alone time with Thornstriker's maid, this was either bad news or something urgent about the announcement. God, he hoped his father hadn't decided to postpone the whole thing just because he had finally seduced the maid into his bed (as unlikely as that sounded).  
  
Getting up slowly, he left the room to speak to the messenger. "What news does my father send?"  
  
The poor messenger boy looked frightened. While he wasn't the friendliest person to talk to, Bloodshed wasn't that scary. Was it something his father had said? His father rarely got angry. Perhaps the young giant had stumbled upon something he was too innocent to see. Perverted bastard...  
  
"Y-Your father... T-The k-king... Has asked that you keep a close eye on Princess Thornstriker until the ceremony."  
  
"What?"  
  
"T-The king w-will not be able to meet the p-p-princess until just before the announcement."  
  
What the hell? Bombrush may have been chasing the maid's skirt, but even he knew how important it was that Thornstriker was prepped before the announcement. And he wasn't the best choice either for being a support coach!  
  
"Did something happen?"  
  
The messenger glanced from side to side. He was nervous about something and it wasn't him.  
  
Something had happened. And judging from the message Bombrush had sent him, it wasn't good. Seeing the guard beckon him to come closer, most likely so that none of the women heard him, he leaned forward to hear the man speak.  
  
“There was a small incident in the garden with the princess’s maid,” he whispered. “A guard approached her with malicious intentions. His Majesty will be looking after Miss Soundwave while he enhances security… He hopes you will watch after the princess.”   
  
Bloodshed’s eyes widened. He quickly glanced back at Thornstriker, who was too busy with the seamstresses and the dress to notice that his attention was elsewhere. Shit… An incident already?! God damn it… Just when he wanted things to be safe for his bride-to-be…  
  
He had to remain calm though. Thornstriker’s safety was his first priority and he didn’t want her to be frightened during her stay. He would have to act like nothing was wrong… He didn’t want to send her into a panic, especially since her maid had been approached.   
  
He looked back to the servant. “Have more guards been set up around the castle?”  
  
“Yes, Your Majesty.”  
  
He nodded. “Thank you. You’re dismissed.”   
  
The servant bowed to the prince as he closed the door, turning back to the seamstresses and the young princess. Though, it seemed that they were finishing up on the dress… It looked beautiful on her.   
  
“Your Majesty.”  
  
He looked to the eldest seamstress.   
  
“Princess Thornstriker would like your opinion on the gown.”   
  
He blinked, turning to look at the young woman. She gripped the dress’s skirt tightly, unable to look him in the eyes as her cheeks were burning bright red. It was so cute and he had to cough, trying to pass off his embarrassment.   
  
“You look… beautiful,” he said, feeling completely awkward. Times like these, he wished he had his father’s womanizer skills. At least he wouldn’t be so awkward when he tried to compliment the girl he liked.   
  
Thornstriker’s cheeks turned even redder, looking off to the side.  
  
The eldest seamstress gave a soft chuckle before turning to the prince. “Is there anything else you require of us?”  
  
“No… You three are dismissed.”   
  
The seamstresses bowed to him and the princess before quickly exiting the room. Thornstriker was still unable to look at her husband-to-be, feeling completely small and shy. She glanced back at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look… beautiful herself. It was just the dress really…  
  
She looked back to the other, eyes widening when she realized he had stepped in front of her and moved to kneel down. She quickly turned away from him, feeling incredibly embarrassed and overwhelmed with how close they were.   
  
“Is something wrong?” she heard him say.  
  
Thornstriker shook her head. “No… No, it’s nothing.”   
  
"Does the dress not fit properly? Is it too tight?"  
  
"N-No... No, that's not it..." She looked back at herself in the mirror. Yes, the dress was beautiful and regal... Fit for... a queen. But... did it suit her? Was she suited to be his queen? She wasn't beautiful or regal like her sisters were... She just didn't want his people to hate her or think her unworthy of the prince.   
  
Bloodshed found himself getting more and more anxious. If it wasn't the dress, then what was it?! That was all he wanted to know and yet... He had even told her she could come to him about things like this! Did she not trust him? Did she not want to rely on him? He couldn't help but to feel... hurt by the thought.   
  
She was going to be his wife. He wanted her to trust him. Yes, she had only lived with him for a month, but... she always seemed so open with him before. Why not now?   
  
But he couldn't dwell on it. He had to keep his mind focused on the ceremony... And glancing at the clock, it would be in about two hours. While he felt prepared for it, he had no idea as to what Thornstriker was feeling about it. She seemed nervous, but she wouldn't talk about it. It wasn't like she would be doing much though. Simply waving and smiling politely...  
  
He gave a huff. "Well... If the dress if all right... Let's go to the main hall then. That's where Bombrush's advisors asked us to meet before the announcement."  
  
"O-Oh... Al-All right."   
  
Thornstriker turned around and followed her husband-to-be as he walked toward the door. She kept her head down, making him feel even worse about all this. He wanted to say something, anything, hoping that made it would get her to look at him. But he couldn't think of what to say and didn't want to be awkward again.   
  
Giving another heavy huff, he quietly led the human princess to the main hall, now too wrapped up in his own worries.


	25. Chapter 25

Thornstriker was growing more and more nervous. Not even senseless chatter could calm her down. She and Bloodshed were waiting in the main hall and an hour had passed already. God, her nerves had been so bad that Bloodshed had made her sit on a chair. She felt awful for making him worry over her like this, but…   
  
His concern did make her feel a bit better, to say the least. Especially since things didn't seem to be right.  
  
Soundwave and Bombrush were nowhere in sight. They were supposed to have been back by now... Bombrush had promised her that he would bring Soundwave back before the announcement. She knew that she was a grown woman and could handle herself, but her nerves were so rattled that she just wanted Soundwave to be there as a familiar, friendly face. Not to mention help calm her down.   
  
Now she felt even worse. Bloodshed had tried to calm her nerves after he had her sit in this chair, offering to have a servant bring tea or food for her if she needed it. He had even offered to bring her to their own library if that would make her feel better!  
  
She couldn't do that. They were supposed to meet the King here before the announcement. She didn't want to cause any delay simply because she wanted to view the library even if it could calm her nerves! She didn't want to be seen as a hindrance on her husband-to-be in front of his kingdom! And not to mention she could risk ruining the dress they had made for her if she tried to walk a long distance or even eat.  
  
"Thornstriker?"  
  
She looked up again to see Bloodshed kneeling next to her chair.  
  
"Are you alright? You look a bit... pale."  
  
God, she was making Bloodshed even more worried. "N-No... J-Just a little... nervous."  
  
"Would you like to get some fresh air? That might help with your nerves."  
  
She shook her head. As much as she wanted to walk around, she knew that she would just try to avoid this entire thing altogether. She couldn’t help it though. She was just so nervous! She didn’t want his people to hate her and find her to be unsuitable for the popular prince…  
  
“I-I’ll be fine,” she stammered, taking a deep breath to calm herself. No, no she couldn’t be like this. She had to be collected and presentable. She would not embarrass Bloodshed or even Bombrush with her childish worries.  
  
Bloodshed bit in the inside of his cheek. Shit, he wished he knew what to do to help. But he simply didn’t. He didn’t know what to say or do or  _anything._  He was just… stuck.   
  
"Are you-" He couldn't continue. He knew what was most likely the problem, but he was hesitant to speak about what he had hoped to not speak about. It would mean either having to tell her the bitter truth or lie.  He didn't want to do either with Thornstriker.  
  
"B-Bloodshed?"  
  
The prince could not bring himself to look her directly in the eye. He couldn't... he couldn't tell her.  
  
"D-Did... Did something happen?"  
  
Thornstriker wasn't sure why she had asked that. But even though everything had been going just fine, something just seemed to be... she wasn't sure what to call it, but it was as if the whole atmosphere had changed.  
  
It must have happened while she was with the attendants getting her dress ready.  She had noticed Bloodshed had stepped out for a moment while the attendants were finishing up with her dress, so it was something that must have happened while the dress was being made.  If she had to go by how long it took messengers to deliver news from within the castle to her own father during dinner or family gatherings, it was probably about the same time here.  
  
"I-Is everything... all ri-?"  
  
"Yes, it is, my dear Thornstriker, and sorry for being so late."  
  
Both prince and princess jumped as the king suddenly entered the room, Soundwave just behind him as her usual self. A wave of relief came through her when she saw someone familiar… And someone else as confident as Bombrush.   
  
Even Bloodshed relaxed a bit. Good. Since he was awful at this, he could at least observe Bombrush and Soundwave try to calm the girl down. Maybe he could learn a thing or two and actually be useful the next time he needed to be comforting.   
The two walked over to the others, who also stood up to face them. Soundwave could see just how nervous her charge was, immediately rushing to her side.   
  
“Princess, are you-?”  
  
“I-I’m fine now,” she said, smiling softly. She was just glad to see a familiar face, especially one who was great when it came to be levelheaded.  
  
Bombrush chuckled, looking down at his son’s future bride. He was glad that he had hired those seamstresses to design and make her dress. It suited her figure and color well… And it seemed that she liked green and by the way she carried herself in the gown, it appeared that she certainly enjoyed wearing it.  
  
He glanced to Bloodshed, who didn’t seem so stiff as he normally was around him. The king couldn’t help but to smirk. “Happy to see me for once?”  
  
Bloodshed frowned. “Only because you can help her.” He nudged his head to gesture down at Thornstriker.   
  
Bombrush nodded, giving another soft chuckle. Poor Bloodshed… While the boy had inherited his libido and bed skills, he did not inherit his charisma. Still, women flocked to the boy just as they had to him and it was for more than just his status and title. Pixela had been beautiful and Bombrush knew that he was attractive – of course they would have produced a handsome child, even if he was standoffish and didn’t have much charm with his words.   
  
Oh well. Perhaps he could teach him a few things, if only to help him when it came to comforting the young princess. After all, they were to be married and Bombrush doubted that Thornstriker would never need some comfort every once in a while.   
  
The king turned away from his son, only to knee down in front of the princess and smile. “The dress looks nice on you, my dead. How do you find it?”  
  
“O-Oh! U-Um…” Thornstriker blushed as she looked down at the dress, gripping the skirt of it. “I-It’s very nice… I-I hope to wear it again.”  
  
“And I hope to see you in it again – it suits you well.”  
  
The girl’s blush deepened.   
  
Soundwave rolled her eyes at the flattery. While a part of her wanted to berate him, she knew that her lady needed this. It was a distraction from what was to happen quite soon. According to what the king had told her when they were spending time together, they would have to meet with his advisors first, who would give both Bloodshed and Thornstriker instructions and where to stand and what they should do.   
  
He had warned her though of his advisors, though. They tended to be quite conservative and, at times, snobbish. Even he didn’t care much for them at times, but despite their personality flaws, they did their job well. It was really the only reason why he kept “those old bastards” around.   
  
Soundwave looked over her charge again. Well, she supposed Bombrush wasn’t wrong. Thornstriker did look lovely in the dress. And quite presentable for both the advisors and the public. As long as the advisors weren’t prejudice towards humans, she believed that everything would be all right in the end… She didn’t get her hopes up, though.      
  
It wasn’t much longer before the advisors arrived. As Soundwave suspected, they were all old men, probably having been around when Bombrush was young. She couldn’t be certain, but she could at least guess that was the case since it was obvious that these men knew the king’s behavioral patterns well enough.   
  
There were three of them: a tall lanky man, a stout man, and a rather old and almost decrepit looking man. Soundwave couldn’t help but to wonder if he was actually capable of his job if he seemed to be so feeble.   
  
“Is everything ready?” the stout giant demanded.  
  
The king held up his hands, he and Bloodshed moving to stand in front of the two women. “Yes, yes, calm yourself, Jugs.”  
  
“My Lord, it can be hard to do so when you tend to–”  
  
“Yes, I know, fool around, but you seem to be forgetting that I always put my son first. I know how important this is for him.”  
  
Bloodshed rolled his eyes at that.  
  
“It’s important for the entire nation-”  
  
“I consider it to be more important for Bloodshed, as this  _is_  his life and future marriage we’re discussing here.”  
  
The eldest advisor laughed softly. “You do have a point.”  
  
The other two advisors turned to him with stern looks on their faces. “Astra, this is no laughing matter. This-”    
  
But the oldest giant just held up his hand. “Nero, Jugs, you are both a little too serious sometimes. Remember, this is more than just a chance for peace. It is indeed a celebration.”   
  
Soundwave eyed the elder for a few moments. Well. It certainly seemed that, despite being old, he wasn’t very strict. Or at least seemed to be the most easygoing out of the three of them. If it was just for show, she was fine with that, as it would probably put Thornstriker at ease to see a grandfather-like figure among the advisors. It certainly made her feel a little more relaxed since she could see out of the corner of her eye that Thornstriker didn’t seem so stiff as she first had been.   
  
The taller one, Nero, looked to the two women, eyes narrowing as he studied over them. Soundwave’s own eyes narrowed back while Thornstriker just kept her head down, not liking the staring.   
  
“Which one is the bride?”  
  
Bombrush rolled his eyes. He really needed to consider dismissing Nero and Jugs… As much as they have helped them, their people skills were worse than his son’s. That was not how you talked to scared princesses… Even Bloodshed was better at trying to be considerate than this man.  
  
Giving a small smile, he turned to the two women. “Thornstriker, it’s all right,” he said gently as the brunette looked up at him. “Come here.”  
  
A bit hesitantly, Thornstriker slowly stepped away from her maid and over to Bombrush. She glanced up at Bloodshed, noting that he looked a bit nervous as well. Mainly because he was worried that those stupid advisors would frighten her. He swore, once he became king, he was getting new advisors. These men, except for Astra, were morons.   
  
Thornstriker finally stepped in front of Bombrush and curtseyed to the three.   
  
“So you’re Princess Thornstriker.”  
  
She nodded, stiffening when she realized that Jugs didn’t sound impressed.  
  
“How old are you?” Nero demanded.  
  
“S-Seventeen, sir.”  
  
Jugs raised an eyebrow. “You certainly don’t look seventeen.”  
  
Thornstriker felt herself shrink into herself, feeling humiliated. She knew she looked younger than she was since she had a baby face. Did these two giants think that she wasn’t suitable because of it? She knew that didn’t exactly look “queen material.” If she looked elegant or sophisticated like Soundwave, perhaps they wouldn’t look at her as if they were disappointment. God, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide there forever.   
  
That was when the prince had had enough.  
  
“Well, she  _is_  seventeen and she’s the one I chose to marry,” he snarled, making everyone look at him even though his glare was directed at Jugs and Nero. “Is there a problem you’d like to share?”  
  
Astra gave a soft laugh while the other two looked away, obviously frightened and intimidated by the young prince.   
  
Jugs seemed to find his voice first. “We meant no offense, Your High–”  
  
“Sure you didn’t. Because you never mean any offense.”  
  
Bombrush cleared his throat and gave Bloodshed a look, titling his head toward the two human women. Bloodshed glanced at them, seeing Thornstriker looking frightened while Soundwave was looking at all of the men with a dark look. Shit, he was ruining things again. Couldn’t he just court the woman in peace without anyone trying to get in his way?!  
  
Astra seemed to notice the tension and gave a soft sigh. “Everyone, please – this should be a day of bliss; let’s not ruin it with misunderstandings, shall we?”  
  
Bloodshed grumbled something out while the other two just remained silent with their heads down.  
  
The oldest giant turned to the young girl, who slowly looked up at him with a trembling bottom lip. He gave her a gentle smile and bowed his head to her. “I hope I’m not too tall for you, Princess Thornstriker,” he said. “I would kneel, but as you can tell, I’m not as young and spry as your future husband.”  
  
“N-N-No, i-it’s all right…”  
  
He nodded and turned to the other two advisors. “Nero, Jugs – why don’t you two go see if there are any more last-minute preparations to be made? We have to be out there in about thirty minutes.”  
  
“But Astra-”  
  
“Hmmm?”  
  
The two advisors just glanced each other before nodding to the elder, quickly escorting themselves out of the room. Once they were out of earshot, Astra gave a small sigh and shook his head, bowing to the king and his son.  
  
“My apologies, they mean no ill will.”  
  
Bombrush held up his hands. “It’s all right, Astra, I’ve worked with them long enough to know that that’s just their nature and behavior.”   
  
“Doesn’t mean they weren’t bastards about it.”  
  
“Bloodshed.”  
  
The prince said nothing back to the king, only rolling his eyes as the small warning tone. As if the man would actually do anything. Besides, it was well know that Bloodshed did not like and would never like any of the advisors. He only had tolerance for Astra, but Bloodshed still didn’t like him much. Then again, he hardly liked anyone.   
  
Thornstriker and Soundwave felt better when the other two advisors had left. Thornstriker was just relieved to see that Astra wasn’t anything like them and no longer felt like she was under scrutiny for how she appeared. Soundwave was just glad that those fools were as far from her princess as possible. She could easily tell that they were snobs and the way they acted with Thornstriker only confirmed it.  
  
At least Astra didn’t seem judgmental. For now anyway.  
  
Astra turned back to the young woman. “Don’t worry too much, Princess, you actually don’t have to do much.”  
  
Thornstriker blinked, obviously confused.  
  
“His Majesty had told me that you would be nervous, so we decided that you don’t need to do anything other than look happy and content standing next to Prince Bloodshed.”  
  
Her eyes widened. That was it? She didn’t need to give a speech or anything like that? “B-But, I-I thought–”  
  
Astra was already shaking his head. “Don’t worry. I will be saying a few words, as will His Highness before presenting you and Prince Bloodshed to ground. The prince will be speaking on your behalf.”  
  
She looked up to Bloodshed, who just gave her a gentle look and nodded. Truth be told, it was his idea to have her no speak, but Bombrush had decided that he would say it was his idea since he knew Bloodshed was embarrassed about being all protective over his wife-to-be. The prince simply didn’t want Thornstriker to feel pressured to make the people like her and feeling like she had to make some great speech.  
  
He could say a few words about their future marriage. For one thing, it wasn’t like he cared what the public thought about this marriage. It was what he wanted and they had no say as to what they did with his personal life, so long as no one was suffering unjustly.  
  
“Is that wise?” Soundwave interjected.   
  
Astra blinked, not expecting her to speak. He turned to her and titled his head. “What do you mean, Miss…?”  
  
“Soundwave. And I simply mean is it right for Princess Thornstriker to not say anything? The public may think that she isn’t capable of saying anything good of the marriage.”  
  
Bombrush chuckled and shook his head. “As long as she looks like she and Bloodshed are in a happy, blissful engagement, I’m sure no one will care if she doesn’t speak.”  
  
“And how are you going to make it seem like they are both happy?”  
  
The king raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe they aren’t?”  
  
“That isn’t what I meant,” Soundwave said, trying her best not to get annoyed. While it was kind of them to try and make things easier for Thornstriker, they needed to think of how the public would view everything too. They were the ones that needed to be sold on this marriage deal. “The goal is to convince the people that the prince and princess are in love with each other. If they don’t think the princess if content, they may see through it as just an attempt at peace, which I doubt they will take kindly too, especially considering Prince Bloodshed seems well liked by many of the women in your kingdom.”  
  
Bloodshed said nothing while Bombrush had to laugh a bit. Yes, that was true; the boy was rather popular among the young women. Not as popular as he was with all women, but that a different matter.  
  
Still, the maid brought up a good point. How were they going to convince the people that Bloodshed and Thornstriker loved each other? That they were content with the marriage? No one said anything for a little while, the five of them trying to think of something that was subtle, but could work.  
  
Bombrush seemed to find the perfect idea and smiled, nodding to himself. “I think I have a fine suggestion.”  
  
“If that’s the case, keep it to yourself,” Bloodshed growled, glaring at him. Any suggestion that came from Bombrush that caused him to smile like that probably wasn’t anything good.  
  
“Now, now, let’s wait to here it before we dismiss it,” Astra said, holding a hand up to the boy. Then he turned to Bombrush. “What did you have in mind?”  
  
“Public displays of affections are usually enough to convince the people all is well,” Bombrush explained. “And since neither Bloodshed or Princess Thornstriker are flirtatious people, a simple kiss would be enough to convince the people that they love each other dearly, wouldn’t you agree?”  
  
Bloodshed felt his heart drop to his stomach as a deadpanned expression took over his face. Soundwave’s eyes just widened while Thornstriker’s entire face turned bright red. Astra was the only one who seemed to be seriously thinking about Bombrush’s suggestion. All the reactions just made Bombrush’s smile widen.   
  
Thornstriker couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Kiss Bloodshed?! Kiss him?! Yes it was normal for their type of relationship, but she had never kissed someone before! She was a princess; she wasn’t allowed to! But… Bloodshed was going to be her husband…  
  
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Soundwave stated coldly, eyes narrowing at the king.   
  
Bombrush just smiled.   
  
“I actually believe it may work,” Astra said, nodding to himself. Then he looked the prince, who was still wearing that unreadable expression. “That shouldn’t be too hard to work out, correct?”  
  
It took Bloodshed a few moments to realize that Astra was talking to him. It took him even longer to respond. Kiss Thornstriker?! They wanted him to kiss her?! While it was something he did want to do and it wasn’t like he hadn’t kissed a woman before, but she was so innocent! How could he kiss her?!   
  
Astra took his silence as approval, causing him to nod. “Well then, I think that settles things.”  
  
Bloodshed’s eyes widened, snapping out of his thoughts. “Wait, I–”  
  
But Bombrush was already talking over him, stepping over to Astra. “In that case, I think we should all head over to the balcony soon. The ceremony will start soon.”  
  
“Bomb-!”  
  
But Bombrush and Astra were already starting to walk away, Bombrush flashing him a small, gloating smirk before he turned to speak with Astra. Bloodshed’s hands curled and clenched into fists, face turning red with anger. That bastard… He swore he would strangle him with his own cape one day.  
  
Thornstriker was still blushing brightly, not knowing what to do or say. It was official now. She was going to have to kiss Bloodshed! And it wasn’t that she didn’t want to kiss him… Just… They weren’t married yet! It wasn’t right for her to kiss him yet!  
  
Soundwave, on the other hand, was furious. That sick pervert… he was forcing this on the two of them as some sort of a joke! To get a good laugh out of it! While she didn’t care what the king did when it concerned messing with his son, it was another thing if he dragged her princess into it!  
  
Unknowingly, she thought the same as Bloodshed and couldn’t help but to plot how she would murder the perverted giant king.


	26. Chapter 26

Thornstriker couldn’t sit still. They were out on the balcony now and she was seated in between Bloodshed and Soundwave, who was sitting next to Bombrush. The three advisors were on the other side of the balcony and Astra was currently speaking to the very large crowd of people, whom were all listening with earnest to his speech.  
  
She had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. The entire giant kingdom was here, or so it looked like. She couldn’t allow herself to be nervous and frightened… This would one day soon be her people too. She had to appear confident and regal to the crowd. She couldn’t be a child… She couldn’t embarrass Bloodshed like that.  
  
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Bloodshed’s fingers touch her hand. She jerked up to look at him, seeing him looking down at her with concern.  
  
Embarrassed, she blushed and looked away.   
  
Bloodshed said nothing when she turned away, instead choosing to gently engulf her tiny hand into his. She seemed surprised, glancing at him with wide eyes. He still remained silent and turned his attention back to Astra, who seemed to be finishing up his speech.   
  
Great; that meant he had to go next and bring Thornstriker up with him.   
  
He still didn’t know how to incorporate a kiss into his speech. He wasn’t like his father – he couldn’t just do it at random. If he were more like Bombrush, God forbid, flirtatious and a huge womanizer, then kissing Thornstriker at random would be seen as all right. But he wasn’t like that. Though he had been with plenty of women himself, he wasn’t a flirt and tended to be standoffish. People would know he was doing it on an order than because he wanted to.   
  
He glanced at his bride-to-be and her maid. Soundwave seemed to be consoling the young princess, who was looking more and more nervous as Astra was closing his speech. Bloodshed bit his bottom lip. Did she really not want to kiss him? Was it just her being shy and proper? Well, shit, he didn’t want to force her to do anything she didn’t want to do…  
  
A roar of loud applause and cheering came up, snapping him from his thoughts. He blinked and looked up, seeing Astra returning to his seat. Now was his turn… Shit.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he slowly rose to his feet. He heard the cheering grown louder and more excited, the people roaring with applause. It was in that moment when Bloodshed realized just how popular he actually was. He had never paid attention to it before, mainly because he didn’t care and he was never one for attention in the first place. But hell, the entire kingdom was here! Yes, this was a huge announcement and everything, but he had never seen so many people for any other announcement.      
  
He glanced at Thornstriker, seeing her slowly move from her seat over to the stairway leading up to the platform set up beside him. The crowd seemed to hush, almost everyone simultaneously leaning back to get a better look at their possible new queen.  
  
Even though she tried not to look it, Thornstriker was shaking like mad on the inside. She couldn’t help but to be taken over by great fear. What if she messed up? What if the people didn’t think she suited him? What if they hated her and felt that she was an embarrassment to Bloodshed? She knew that not everyone would like her because she was human, but she didn’t want to make a fool out of Bloodshed.   
  
But when she stepped up onto the platform, she knew there was nothing she could do but stand there, all eyes locked on her. She bit the inside of her lip as she forced her hands down to her side, glancing at Bloodshed. To her surprise, he was looking at her with worry apparent in his eyes.   
  
She opened her mouth to ask, but then quickly remembered where she was, turning away from him with a blush on her face. Right, now was not the time to act childish. Calming down her nerves, she looked to the crowd and gave a small, polite smile. She just had to think of this as one of her trips through her kingdom. Maybe if she thought of it that way, it would be easier.  
  
There was loud murmuring among the people as they seemed to analyze her intently. She was grateful that she couldn’t hear them, but she could hear Bombrush chuckling behind them as he murmured something to Astra. It was a little scary, but she needed to get through this. Once it was over, she could duck back inside and be as embarrassed and childish as she wanted to be without having to worry about someone watching or judging her.  
  
Bloodshed cleared his throat and turned to the people, who all seemed to suddenly focus on in. He had to make this quick; he seriously wanted to get out of here. He didn’t care if he was somehow a popular prince. He really didn’t like dealing with people and he could tell Thornstriker wasn’t exactly enjoying herself either, considering how nervous she appeared.  
  
He gestured to Thornstriker, who bit her bottom lip before smiling again. “This is my future wife, Princess Thornstriker, the youngest heir of King Ultra Magnus.”  
  
More murmurs arose.   
  
Pausing, he glanced at the young woman before turning back to the crowd. “Through this marriage, we hope to bring our kingdoms closer together. And while I know most of you think I’m doing this because I have to, you’re wrong. I genuinely care about the woman who is to be my wife.”  
  
The crowd started talking again, Thornstriker blushing a bit while she heard Bombrush laugh quietly behind them. The prince turned to give a small glare at the king, who just smiled and held up his hands. Having to take a deep breath to calm himself, he turned back to the people down below to speak again.  
  
However, no one expected him to reach other and move his hand over to Thornstriker. She blinked and looked up at him when his pinky gently tapped against her petite hand. But he didn’t look at her, Thornstriker noticing that his cheeks had darkened a little. It made her relax a little, realizing that she wasn’t the only one who had been tense about this situation easier. At least he was attempting to make it easier on both of them, something she very much appreciated.   
  
Even though people were still whispering and pointing, Bloodshed continued. “I believe that… Not only will this marriage help our kingdoms, but it will also help me as future king. I have always wanted a wife that I know who can stand by my side and support me for who I am… And who I can love and trust as deeply as I do Princess Thornstriker.”   
  
Thornstriker knew he was probably only saying this to convince the people that this was more than just a political marriage, but still. It was incredibly sweet and it took all of her willpower to not just blush right then and there. But she had to look away from the people, feeling overwhelmed by what was being said.  
  
Bombrush thought it was cute, so he couldn’t help himself when he chuckled. Bloodshed could be so awkward sometimes when it came to his feelings. And now because of it, both he and his little future wife were embarrassed. They couldn’t help it, but it probably looked more convincing to the crowd below that their feelings for each other were genuine.   
  
Bloodshed cleared his throat, trying to shake off his embarrassment. He felt like a little kid, but he had to shake it off. He didn’t want to embarrass himself any further, especially not in front of his own people.    
  
“Now… We can only ask our good people for your blessing and for you to come to… come to accept my future wife as much as I have grown to love and care for her.”  
  
The crowd was quiet for a few moments. Thornstriker started to worry that they weren’t happy with this. That they thought she wasn’t good enough to be Bloodshed’s wife and their future queen. That they couldn’t and wouldn’t accept a human as the wife of the kingdom’s clearly beloved and admired prince.   
  
But then, there was clapping. It was slow and steady, but soon, it seemed to grow louder and louder with each passing second. Cheering started to erupt, people calling out to Bloodshed and wishing both him and her happiness. Both of their names were chanted over and over again, Bloodshed’s expression relaxing a bit as he looked down at the crowd.   
  
A wave of relief came over her, her shoulders slumping a bit before she straightened herself out. She glanced back at Soundwave, giving a small smile. Soundwave just nodded to her, her expression gentle and relieved as well. She was so glad that this had turned out well… She had honestly feared the worst before all of this.   
  
But just as she turned to walk back to her seat, she saw Bloodshed bend down to her height. Confused, she turned back to look at him, thinking that perhaps he had something he wanted to tell her.   
  
She had completely forgotten the suggestion Bombrush had made prior to this. So when Bloodshed’s lips touched her own, she was completely unprepared for it, her eyes widening as her entire body froze up in shock.  
  
It was a very light one, their lips barely pressed against each other, and it ended as quickly as it started. The crowd had gotten even rowdier with their cheers, but Thornstriker couldn’t even hear them. It was as if everything around her disappeared; she didn’t even hear Bombrush laugh or see Soundwave’s horrified expression. The young princess was only able to focus on Bloodshed’s face.   
  
His cheeks were a bit darker than usual. His expression was soft, but it was easy to see the nervousness in his eyes. He looked like an embarrassed little boy as opposed to the normally stoic man he was.   
  
She couldn’t stop herself though as her entire face lit up brightly, embarrassment and confusion taking over her. A little squeak escaped past her lips as her hands came up to clamp over her lips, staring at the man with wide eyes. He seemed surprised by this, leaning back a bit. They were lucky that the crowd didn’t pay much mind to it, thinking that his bride-to-be was just shy. And they certainly weren’t wrong…  
  
Thornstriker quickly turned around and headed down the steps away from Bloodshed. But once she reached the bottom, she didn’t return to her seat like the people thought. She ran from the balcony, her maid calling out to her and quickly following her. None of the giants had moved, just watching the humans with a blank expression…  
  
Except for Bloodshed, Bombrush noticed. He had turned to look at the boy, seeing that he was horrified with had just happened. He probably thought that he had done something to scare her and make her hate him…  
  
That certainly could have gone better.

* * *

“Princess, please, it’s over now. It’s all over…”  
  
Soundwave had been at this for an hour now. But no matter what she said or did, Thornstriker wouldn’t move from her position under the covers. After what had happened on the balcony, she ran all the way to her room and cocooned herself under the blankets, burying her face into the pillow as she attempted to keep herself hidden from sight.   
  
Of course, the small bundled lump in the sheets was an obvious give away to where she was hiding.  
  
“Princess, please, come out. I understand if you don’t want to see anyone at the moment, but you must come out…”  
  
But Thornstriker couldn’t bring herself to do so. She was way too embarrassed with what had just happened! Bloodshed kissed her! He kissed her! In front of all those people! Yes, she had forgotten about Astra’s suggestion from earlier, but since things were going so well, she didn’t think that there was a need for him to actually kiss her…  
  
But he did kiss her. In front of everyone. He had pressed his lips against hers and… they kissed, even if it was brief. That was still a kiss and it had been her first one and…  
  
She pushed her face further into the pillow, letting out a small whine as she tried to unsuccessfully shake off the embarrassment.   
  
Soundwave was growing more and more infuriated with those bastard royals as she fruitlessly tried to get the princess to come out. She thought the girl to be traumatized by what had happened. Thornstriker was far too pure and innocent for her own good, so of course something like that would frighten her! She had it drilled into her that she needed to remain pure until her wedding. That included no kissing until then!  
  
Yes, she was to marry Bloodshed, but that didn’t mean he could just violate her however he wished! Then again, she shouldn’t have expected differently. Even if he seemed kind at first, the prince was still a man. And like all men it seemed, they only wanted one thing when it came to a woman… Disgusting pigs.  
  
Bombrush wasn’t free of guilt either. This had been his foolish suggestion in the first place! And knowing that idiot king, he had probably gotten a kick out of it. That was all that bastard ever seemed to want out of things – his own personal entertainment… She swore, the next time she saw them, she would murder them-!  
  
There was a knock on the door, causing her to blink and look up. Thornstriker had flinched under the sheets, pushing herself even further into the mattress. When another knock came, Soundwave reached over and gently patted Thornstriker’s head before getting up to answer the door.   
  
She opened the human-sized door and looked up, seeing the prince standing there. Her expression immediately turned sour, eyes narrowing at him. He didn’t seem surprised and just stared back at her with a blank expression.   
  
“Is there something you require?”  
  
Bloodshed didn’t seem fazed by the venom in her voice, but that made his poker face falter a bit. If Soundwave was this angry, that had to have meant that Thornstriker was really upset. Shit, he didn’t want to hurt or scare her! He had thought that maybe his father and Astra had been right about kissing thing and…  
  
He stopped himself. No. That was a lie. He knew his father was full of it and had only suggested that to make him all flustered. He didn’t have to go through with it, especially not when the crowd seemed to buy his story about loving and caring for her… not that it was a lie since he did want to cherish her. But that was beside the point. He had kissed her because he wanted to and nothing more. He had just seen her smile and look happy that she had been accepted… He didn’t know what happened; he just knew he wanted to kiss her in that moment.   
  
And because he had, she was now terrified of him and probably crying her eyes out. He was such an idiot… But he had to talk to her. He just had to make sure she was okay.  
  
But first, he had to get past her overprotective maid.   
  
“… How is Princess Thornstriker?”  
  
“Terrible, no thanks to you.”  
  
Shit. He really had fucked this up. “I would like to speak with her.”  
  
“I’m afraid I will have to decline. She is in no mood for company…  _Your_  company.”  
  
“It won’t take long,” he murmured, feeling small compared to the human. Seriously, he could have just pushed her out of the way and told her to know her place, but he found himself unable to under her harsh glare and his own guilt. “Just… Give us a few minutes. Please.”  
  
“Your Majesty, my lady is distressed and requires time to herself–”  
  
“Then please, just… just ask her.” He was getting desperate here. He had to talk to her about this. He had to apologize for overstepping his boundaries! Even if she didn’t forgive him… He still wanted to tell her he was sorry. That he didn’t mean to scare her.  
  
Soundwave’s eyes narrowed at the man. While he seemed remorseful of his actions, she couldn’t never be too sure… Still. She would play the part, ask Thornstriker, and when she gave the order, she would send the man away. At least Thornstriker could be with herself in peace for a little longer until she had no other choice but to interact with him.   
  
Closing the door behind her, she made her way back over to the bed.  
  
“Princess?”  
  
The bundled up sheets flinched.  
  
“… His Majesty Bloodshed is outside. He wishes to speak to you.”  
  
Thornstriker’s body tensed up. Bloodshed was… outside?! Already?! No! No, she wasn’t mentally prepared to face him yet! She didn’t know what to say or how she should act or what to do! She hadn’t thought about this!  
  
When she remained silent as she fretted in her mind, her maid sighed. “Should I send him away?”  
  
Thornstriker stiffened. Send him… away? She… couldn’t do that. Knowing how Bloodshed normally was…. He was probably worried about her. Unless, by running away after she had kissed him, something went wrong. Maybe she had ruined something? Had her behaving so childishly caused him to get into trouble with his father? The advisors?  
  
She bit her lip and slowly stuck her head out from under the blankets. She… was an adult. She was going to be a wife soon. She needed to speak with her husband to be about this matter, especially if she had done something wrong… Which she was certain she had, considering she had run away like a child.   
  
Now she just felt humiliated with herself. She had probably embarrassed Bloodshed in front of everyone… She really wished she learned to think before she reacted like a child. She needed to mature and become an adult faster…  
  
Though she felt heavy, Thornstriker slowly sat up as the blankets fell off of her.  
  
“Princess?”  
  
“… H-He can… c-come in.”  
  
Soundwave was surprised; she had thought for sure she would want more time to herself after what had just happened. “I can send him away if you–”  
  
The princess was already shaking her head. “L-Let him in… Pl-Please. A-And w-would you… wait outside? Pl-Please?”  
  
Soundwave bit her tongue. While she wanted to say no, she knew that the princess was stubborn when she wanted to be. Still, she wasn’t comfortable leaving them alone together. She just didn’t want her to have to suffer anymore… Damn it. How she wished one of her other sisters had been chosen to marry Bloodshed. As cruel as that was to say, it was how she felt. Princess Eclipse would have been a better choice. She was beautiful, mature, and rather wise for her age. She would have made a great queen…  
  
Thornstriker was… naïve. Innocent. And even though she tried her best to be an adult, to be mature about everything, she was still just a child. She didn’t truly understand what the world was like. She was too sheltered. She didn’t understand how cruel the world actually was and Soundwave feared that once it grabbed hold of the princess, it would rip her apart.  
  
“… Very well. I’ll wait by the door, so call if you need me.”  
  
“Th-Thank you, Soundwave.”  
  
The maid only nodded before walking back over to the door. Thornstriker let out a small breath before fixing herself up. Oh dear, she had wrinkled this nice dress… She hoped that the seamstresses wouldn’t also be mad at her for sullying their gown. But she brushed that aside for now, sitting up on the sheets and facing the door, which was now starting to open to allow Bloodshed to walk into the room.  
  
She had to look away, feeling ashamed by her previous behavior. But Bloodshed had misinterpreted it, thinking that she was afraid of him. Now he was starting to think that she only said yes to letting him in because she was worried he would do something if she refused. Shit, he seriously needed to clear up this misunderstanding. He didn’t want his future wife to be afraid of him! Hell, it was bad enough her maid hated him…  
  
Clearing his throat, he stepped more into the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
“H-Hello, Bl-Bloodshed.”  
  
It  _pained_  him to hear her sound so nervous, but he kept it to himself. “Hey… How… How are you feeling?”  
  
“I-I’m fine, th-thank you.”  
  
“That’s… good.”   
  
Then they fell into silence. While Thornstriker was worrying and trying to think of how to begin apologizing, Bloodshed was on edge. He didn’t want her to hate him or be afraid of him, but after what had happened? God, he couldn’t remember the last time he had fucked up this much… Especially when it came to another woman.  
  
Seriously, before this, he never had problems with them. Kissing was easy. Bedding them was even easier. He never had a hard time with women before mainly because he didn’t care about how they felt towards him. If they were afraid of him, fine. He just wouldn’t bother with them. If they wanted him to kiss them or have sex with them, fine. He would do it.  
  
But Thornstriker was not those women. He didn’t see her like that. She was to be his wife. She was kind, sweet, gentle… He cared for her. He liked her. A lot. Probably more than most people thought. He wanted to cherish her and yet… When he saw her look so happy and was smiling… he couldn’t stop himself and forced a kiss on her.  
  
God, he was scum. He just prayed that she didn’t hate him for it.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he kneeled down in front of her. She jumped a bit, surprised that he had gotten so close to her bed and her height. Well… this did make things a little easier. At least now he wasn’t towering over her and they were more at the same eye-level.  
  
“Thornstriker, I…”  
  
She looked up at him, surprised that he had spoken first.  
  
She was even more surprised when he hung his head, almost as if he were ashamed. “… I-I’m sorry for what I did,” he said softly. “I… I never meant to–”  
  
“W-Wait!”  
  
“Huh?” He looked up, surprised to see Thornstriker staring at with a red face and confused expression. Had he done something wrong? No… No, she didn’t look frightened or anything… Now he was confused.  
  
“W-Why’re you ap-apologizing?”  
  
“Y-You’re… You’re upset over me… k-kissing you, aren’t you?”  
  
Her blush darkened, but he was thrown off by her shaking her head like a madwoman. So… he had gotten it wrong? But… But she ran away after the kiss! She had to have been upset! Or at least that was what he and everyone else thought… Soundwave had clearly been angry with him, so he must have made her cry or something…  
  
Thornstriker shook her head. “N-No, I-I’m not upset… I-I thought you were mad at me f-for ruining th-the announcement.”  
  
She had thought  _he_  was mad at  _her?!_  Where had she gotten that idea?! And she hadn’t ruined anything… He was the one who had violated her space! She was the one who should have been angry, at the very least! But no… No, she thought she was the one who was in trouble, who had done something wrong.  
  
He had to rub his eyes and give a heavy huff. Right. Thornstriker was like this… Always taking the blame for things. She had done it before. Now he just felt even worse for kissing her so suddenly… She was way too innocent, he swore.   
  
“No… No.” He took his hand from his eyes and looked to her, seeing her look up at him with a confused expression. “Don’t… Don’t worry. You didn’t do anything wrong. I… I was the one who kissed you unexpectedly.”  
  
“I-It’s all right…”  
  
“… Then why did you run away?”  
  
Thornstriker bit her bottom lip and looked away, blushing again. As embarrassing as it was to admit the truth, she knew she couldn’t not tell him the truth. Especially since it had caused such a huge misunderstanding. She just hoped he wouldn’t get annoyed or think she was completely stupid for her reasons… She already thought she was foolish for how she reacted.  
  
“It… I…”  
  
“Thornstriker? Ar-Are you sure I-I didn’t-?”  
  
“… I-It was my first… kiss.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“K-Kiss… M-My first…” Oh God, her entire body was stiff and even her ears were hot and red. This was so humiliating. She just wanted to crawl back under the covers and hide from the same. “A-And I… got embarrassed. Really… really embarrassed. S-So I ran away… I-I’m sorry…”   
  
It took Bloodshed a few moments to actually put it all together. She… had just been extremely embarrassed because he had kissed her, which was her first kiss. Ever. No one but him had kissed her before that time. Which made since princesses were generally meant to “save” themselves for their husbands… And he was to be her husband. So he had been the first one to kiss her.  
  
… Shit. Why didn’t he think of that before?! He had already known just how innocent this woman was, so why didn’t it ever come to him that she had never kissed  _anyone_  prior to that?! She wasn’t like Nebula, who had kissed and done much more with plenty of men already… She was a sweet, innocent young woman.  
  
A sweet, innocent young woman whose first kiss he had stupidly and selfishly stolen.  
  
He buried his face into his hands and groaned, his own face turning red. Damn it! He was such an idiot! So completely stupid! How could he do something like that to her?! He seriously needed to think about this sort of thing more! If he just kept jumping into things without thinking, she would hate him…   
  
“… I’m sorry,” he mumbled, taking his hands from his face. “I… I didn’t realize…”  
  
“N-No, i-it’s fine, b-because… I… We… Y-You were going t-to be my first k-kiss anyway…”  
  
That just made both of them blush harder, their heads casted down as they tried to hide their embarrassed faces. Well, it wasn’t like she didn’t have a point. Still, he wished that he could have made her first kiss… better. One that was more intimate and personal rather than just a whim of the moment thing in front of a ton of people.    
  
Biting his bottom lip and still unable to look up at her, he stretched up a hand to hers and gently seized it with his fingers.  
  
She jumped a bit, but he didn’t let go. “Blood-?”  
  
“… So you’re not upset?”  
  
“Wh-Wha-?”  
  
“You’re… not upset over the kiss?”  
  
“N-No… I-It’s fine, really…”  
  
He nodded. “… I’m still sorry.”   
  
“It’s okay, Bloodshed… Really.”  
  
He nodded again, this time moving a bit closer to it. He wanted to say that the next kiss would be better, but he didn’t want to make this even more awkward than it was or cause her to become even more flustered. Besides, that probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now. Not after all of this.  
  
Seeing the prince grow quiet, Thornstriker gently held back his giant hand and gave a small smile. Well… at least he wasn’t mad at her and she hadn’t messed anything up. She had feared the worst about this, but she wad glad it wasn’t the case.  
  
Though, she was still a bit embarrassed since she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about the kiss. It was brief and happened far too quickly, but… His lips had been soft. Warm. And it made her chest swell up, as embarrassing as it was. Did all kisses feel like that? She had no idea… Maybe Soundwave would be able to tell her?  
  
She kind of hoped that did though. As shameful as it was to admit, Thornstriker hoped that they would be able to do it again sometime soon.


	27. Chapter 27

Soundwave couldn’t help but to feel frustrated. Bloodshed had come out of the room after chatting with Thornstriker, but much to her dismay, Thornstriker had told her that she wanted to spend some more time with the prince. Alone. Leaving Soundwave with her thoughts to fret and boil.  
  
Currently, she was in what she could only assume was the library. There were huge bookshelves everywhere and plenty of places to sit and rest… Seemed like a library to her. But instead of reading, she could only lounge back against one of the chairs as she let her thoughts wander off.   
  
There was no possible way that Thornstriker was actually all right with being kissed like that. She had never been kissed before and she knew the girl had always envisioned a more… romantic first kiss. That was definitely not what she had wanted or envisioned. Not to mention Bloodshed had done it without her permission.  
  
God, he was just like his father… Perverted and able to smooth talk his way out of being in trouble with someone as gullible as Thornstriker. And now she was alone with him and no doubt being swooned and played with because she didn’t know better. Being stuck here was giving her the biggest migraine…  
  
“Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”  
  
And then her migraine just seemed to get a hundred times worse.  
  
Looking over, her eyes narrowed at a grinning Bombrush, who was standing in the library doorway with his gazed locked on her. All she wanted to do was knock that grin right off of his face and smack him. Especially since that blasted kiss was his entire idea in the first place.   
  
“Do you need something?” she said, not even bothering to hold back the disdain in her voice.   
  
He raised an eyebrow. So, she was angry. He shouldn’t have been surprised though. Her princess had seemed rather distraught after Bloodshed kissed her. But then again, he had just seen his son and her walking around the castle just a little bit ago. She seemed all right now, considering she was smiling and chatting happily with the prince, who maintained a neutral expression. But Bombrush could see his son was happy that things were all right.  
  
Soundwave was a worrier though and incredibly overprotective. It must have been alarming to her to see her princess run off like that during the announcement. At least the crowd had no idea that had happened. That sort of trouble wasn’t something neither the maid nor the princess needed to deal with.   
  
“I just came to see how you were doing,” he said, giving a small smile as he moved to seat himself on the chair across from her.   
  
“I see.”  
  
“I’m offended that you don’t believe me.”  
  
Soundwave’s eyes narrowed at him. He just smiled politely, holding up his hands and acting as if he was completely innocent. How this idiot was king was beyond her, but she calmed herself down. He was always like this and the last thing she wanted to do was cause herself undue stress with this fool.   
  
“So what brought you to the library?”  
  
“I could say the same to you.”  
  
“Hey now, I asked you first.”  
  
She turned away from with a heavy huff. “To get some time to myself.”  
  
“Plotting to get your princess away from my son?”  
  
“Currently how I’m going to poison your drink.”  
  
Bombrush had to laugh at that. Most would have been concerned over a threat on his life, but he knew Soundwave wasn’t about to actually do it. Though, he had to admit, she would be the perfect person for the job. She was intelligent and diligent and knew how to take care of herself. There was a lot she probably knew that she wasn’t sharing. A rather good character to be an assassin or a spy.   
  
Maybe he would have to keep a closer eye on her from now on. Not that he minded. If anything, the idea of her sneaking into his room in the middle of the night to strangle him was rather arousing. He always did have a thing for dangerous women.  
  
“That would get you thrown in jail, my dear. And start a war between the two nations and I doubt you want that.”  
  
“No, I wouldn’t want to put my princess through such turmoil.”  
  
“Just your princess?”  
  
“Do not imply I have any feelings or concern for you or your affairs.”  
  
He gave a chuckle. Harsh as always, but that was part of the beautiful maid’s charm.   
  
He knew he probably wouldn’t have much time to spend with her. He had work to do and he could only delay it for so long before his advisors sent guards to fetch him. Spending that short time arguing with Soundwave would be fun, but he was more interested in getting to know her better. They could have more playful banter later.  
  
Soundwave could see the man stand up out of the corner of her eyes before walking out of range. She rolled her eyes and looked out the window again. They only had to be here for a few more days… Three to be exact. Three more days and then they would return to the manor. She wished it was sooner than later, everything considered. But if Thornstriker was having a pleasant time here, she supposed it was all right. Still, she would rather not have to stay here longer than necessary.  
  
“Soundwave?”  
  
She turned back to the other, who had brought over a chessboard. Oh God, not this again; wasn’t their first chess match enough?   
  
“Play me another game?”  
  
“And if you win?”  
  
“Oh, no, no.” He set the board down on the table, giving a small smile when the human eyes him suspiciously. “This will just be a friendly match.”  
  
“… No reward for the winner?”  
  
“None at all. Just a fun harmless match to pass the time.”  
  
Soundwave didn’t say anything at first, eyeing the chess pieces. Well, if it were just a simple game, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Though it would pull her into another stupid conversation, it was better than having to make sure she won or else be dragged around on another one of the king’s “adventures.”  
  
Though, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to avoid them forever. The king was, unfortunately, far too stubborn. He needed to know when to give up… But this was definitely much more tolerable than having him flirt with her constantly.   
  
“Very well.” She moved to sit closer to the board, ignoring the biggest smile on the king’s face. He was reading too much into this.  
  
“Excellent. I’ll be black, so you go first.”

* * *

Bloodshed and Thornstriker were in the parlor. She was surprised just how cute it was; she couldn’t see Bombrush or Bloodshed being the ones to decorate such a room. It was so frilly and white and… girly. It was so bright and warm and inviting. Not to say the king and the prince were unwelcoming people; this just didn’t seem to be their aesthetic!   
  
But she didn’t really question it. Not when they were having such a good time chatting. The servants had made tea and brought out some pastries. Bloodshed didn’t eat anything and only had the tea. She reasoned it to him just not being a fan of sweets. Which she could definitely understand, since he didn’t seem like a person who enjoyed those types of food.   
  
It was a shame though, since the macaroons were delicious! She wondered if she would be able to eat this again. Perhaps when they officially moved into the castle, when she married him.   
  
The thought made her cheeks turn red again. She wished she had more poise when it came to this; all she knew how to do was blush at the drop of a hat. Her older sister Eclipse was much better at keeping herself composed. Perhaps she should have asked for tips before she went off to live with the prince.  
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. “Y-Yes?”  
  
“Are you okay? Your face is flushed.”  
  
The comment only the red in her cheeks brighter.   
  
Bloodshed didn’t say anything at first, just noting how adorable she looked when she was blushing. He should have expected that from a girl who was only seventeen. Anything seemed to make her cheeks red… Even a kiss made her overly embarrassed.  
  
He still felt bad about that, but he didn’t continue apologizing when Thornstriker told him to stop. Since they were to be married regardless, kissing was only natural. She would just have to get used to it when the future came. At least that was her logic behind it all. Still, he didn’t want to do something if it made her uncomfortable.  
  
For now, he would just have to avoid kissing her.  And perhaps just change the subject so his bride-to-be wouldn’t be so red in the face.  
  
“Do you like the pastries?”  
  
“Wha-Oh! Oh yes, yes I-!” She paused for a moment to collect herself. Soon enough, her blushing face went away and she gave a gentle smile, much more relaxed now. “They’re wonderful. Are you sure you don’t want any?”  
  
He shook his head; he could still remember how they tasted when he was fifteen and that had been six years ago. It was so disgusting sweet and sugary he nearly threw up. Luckily, he had been able to force it down with water and act as if it nothing happened… Of course, eating some of the other food helped too.   
  
Still, since he couldn’t handle them, he just avoided them. He remembered his mother used to like them. Especially sugar cookies with pink frosting. She always ate them here, in her little parlor that Bombrush had made for her back when they had just gotten married. And if he remembered right, he used to sit in here and eat sugar cookies with her too… Then again, that had been forever ago, so maybe he didn’t really like them and only ate them because he didn’t want to hurt Pixela’s feelings.    
  
“Bloodshed?”  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked to her.   
  
“Is something wrong?”  
  
He really needed to stop letting himself get distracted… He wanted to enjoy his time with his fiancée, not make her think he didn’t like being with her. There was no need to get sentimental over food his mother used to enjoy.  
  
“I’m fine.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
He nodded.   
  
“… May I ask you something?”  
  
Well, at least they seemed to be changing the subject. And he was glad to see she didn’t look so red in the face anymore. He had been worried there for a bit.  
  
“What is this room?” she asked, glancing around the frilly and rather girlish room. “It’s… very not like you or the king.”  
  
He should have figured she would be curious. After all, she did have a point about this particularly being… well, as she said. Though he did wonder why Bombrush hadn’t redone this room. Pixela was… gone. And they hardly ever used it, except for the rare occasions such as this. Then again, he probably would have been upset if Bombrush did try to do anything to the room. Maybe it was for sentimental reasons. As much as his father pissed him off, he knew Bombrush had loved his mother dearly. Of course he would never get rid of this room…  
  
He reached up and rubbed his eyes, letting out a heavy huff. Thornstriker bit her lip, wondering if perhaps she had been too personal. Yes, they had been together for a month now, but that didn’t mean she could just demand him to tell her everything personal. That wasn’t right nor was it fair to the man who was going to be her husband.  
  
“I-”  
  
“Bombrush had it commissioned. For my mother.”  
  
“Oh…” She glanced around the room. Though she had never met Pixela, having been born after her death, she should have figured that she the one the room was meant for.   
  
Seeing her eyes dart about the room, Bloodshed continued. “She came in here a lot when she wanted time to herself. She would read or practice the harp when she wasn’t having a friend or two over for tea.”  
  
Thornstriker bit the inside of her lip when she saw a somber look come over his face. She needed to stop bringing her up… She knew the other loved his mother dearly. And even though so much time had passed, it probably still hurt to remember. And she was the one making him remember and become sad…  
  
Maybe if she changed the subject quick enough, it would be all right. So he wouldn’t be so somber anymore. She didn’t like seeing him like this… And his future wife, she was supposed to make him happy. She needed to do better and make him smile more.   
  
“Y-Your mother played the harp?”  
  
He nodded.  
  
“My sister plays the harp,” she said, hoping to draw the attention away from Pixela. “I never learned because… Well, my other sisters were fussy when our music teacher tried to help them, so she didn’t bother with me.”   
  
He raised an eyebrow. Though he didn’t know her sisters that well, he knew enough that Thornstriker was nothing like them. She would have been able to learn how to play the harp just fine and probably without complaint.   
  
“B-But I do know how to play the piano. Somewhat. I-I wouldn’t say I’m very skilled or anything.”  
  
“… Will you play for me one day?”   
  
It slipped out of his mouth before he could even think about what she had actually said. He quickly bit the inside of his cheek, scolding himself a bit. She clearly wasn’t that confident in her skills (though he had a feeling she played just fine), so asking her like this was probably inconsiderate towards her feelings…   
  
Not to mention just how he phrased it. Play for him? Just what was he thinking?! Acting as if he were special… He may have been her fiancé, but for God’s sake, he had only kissed her for the first time today! Their relationship was still a little… rocky. Tense even. He had no business asking her to-  
  
“Al-All right.”  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at her with wide eyes.   
  
“I-I wouldn’t mind… Th-Though I-I’m not sure I could play on a giant sized piano.”  
  
“Ah…” Bloodshed cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feel as small as the human sitting across from him. “I can… have one brought to the manor sometime. I… look forward to hearing you play.”  
  
Thornstriker’s cheeks reddened, but she did smile, which relieved him. “I’ll do my best then to play properly.”  
  
“… I’m sure you play well.”  
  
She let out a small giggle and thanked him before she took a sip of her tea. Bloodshed just watched her a few moments before taking a sip himself, shoulders slumping a bit as the tension left his body. That went… better than he had anticipated. He still needed to be careful about what he said in the future though. Especially around Soundwave. She didn’t like him enough as it was; he didn’t want to give her more reasons to hate him.  
  
But at least Thornstriker didn’t hate him… That was what he cared about most. And so long as he didn’t do anything stupid, she could actually grow to like him. Maybe as much as he did her. He could only hope… And he would just have to try hard.


	28. Chapter 28

It had been a few days since the announcement went out. Thornstriker didn’t doubt that it would reach her family’s kingdom by the end of the month. Though it could have been quite possible that Ultra Magnus had already informed his people while she had been away. She hoped that, if it were true, the people didn’t take too negatively too it.  
  
The giants didn’t seem to mind. She found that if she lingered by a window in the front of the castle, some would see her and point at her. Once or twice, she had gathered a small crowd, everyone anxious to see her. It was a little strange, but at least they didn’t seem to hate her. It was more intrigue than anything, so she would wave to them if she caught them staring.  
  
It made Bloodshed and Soundwave nervous though, mainly Soundwave. Soundwave feared for her safety, believing if she let the public see her like this often, would-be assassins could target her easily. Bloodshed didn’t confirm or deny Soundwave’s concerns, which did make her a little nervous, but… The people seemed to be so nice. She didn’t want to dismiss them because of a few bad people.  
  
But not wanting to give them a heart attack, she didn’t stay by the windows for too long. Just enough where she could get some sun for the day before she decided to explore the castle. With guards always nearby, of course.  
  
It was much bigger than the castle back home. Not even because it was a giant’s castle – it had far more rooms and corridors than her family home had. And their library was amazing… Thornstriker often found herself coming back to that room, excited to see what other books were there that she didn’t have.  
  
She was just glad to see their trip to the castle had gone smoothly. They would be heading back home tomorrow and nothing bad had happened, thankfully. And she and Bloodshed were still getting along fine, which made her happy too. She was excited to write back home about all of this. Her family would be glad to know things are going smoothly, Airstream especially. He had been against this marriage from the beginning, but if he knew she was doing all right, maybe he would be more open to it…  
  
And it seemed Soundwave was getting along better with the king. Well, more like her maid didn’t seem so eager to find a way to kill him in his sleep. She had asked if something happened, but Soundwave only gave vague answers.  
  
She was currently in the library, sitting on the windowsill. Fortunately, this window faced the back of the palace, so if Soundwave were to walk in on her, the poor woman wouldn’t have a heart attack about her being there. She merely wanted to sunlight, since it was too cold to go outside to get it. It was better to simply relax here; it made for a cool reading spot as well.  
  
She was thankful that there were some human sized books lying around, some of which she hadn’t read. Otherwise, she would have had tried to read some of the books made for giants. And while they weren’t big enough to crush her, they were still too big and heavy for her to carry. And she didn’t want to bother any guards to help her get a book to read. That would just be silly, especially when there were books for humans around. And thankfully, the book she did have was a good read.    
  
So as Thornstriker flipped through the pages, eagerly taking in the story, she failed to notice Bloodshed coming up one of the aisles towards her. He was a little annoyed by the fact she was still hanging out by the windows, but he couldn’t fault her. No one had told her about the incident with Soundwave, not wanting to cause her any unnecessary fear or panic. Maybe it was for the best though. They were going back to the manor tomorrow anyway.  
  
He wished they were going now though. These past few days had been frustrating beyond belief. His father would skip out on meetings, giving the excuse “my son needs to learn more about being king” so his advisors couldn’t argue with him. So while Bombrush chased skirts, he was stuck in boring meetings and discussions about how things would be once he and Thornstriker married in June.  
  
Public events, trips through various villages, publicity and the like were all necessary. And then of course, they had to think about living arrangements with discussion of building another castle, a smaller one, for the two of them that would in more central territory. To symbolize the union between the two kingdoms.  
  
He literally couldn’t care less about any of it. He just wanted to marry Thornstriker and he wasn’t the king yet. Bombrush should have been the one they were talking to. He swore, once he and Bombrush were alone, he was going to beat the shit out of him.  
  
Thornstriker noticed a shadow looming over her, causing her to look up. “Oh! Bloodshed–” She sat up a bit and smiled “–how are you?”  
  
“Fine,” he said, moving to sit down on the chair next to the window across from her. “Where’s Soundwave?”  
  
“Oh, the king came by earlier. They went off to chat.”  
  
“… I see…” He stretched up a hand to rub his eyes. Why couldn’t that pervert take a hint? She wasn’t remotely interested in anything he had to offer. “I’ll talk to him about that.”  
  
“Oh, no, no, it’s fine. Besides, I don’t think Soundwave minds… entirely.”  
  
That didn’t mean she didn’t mind. And it wasn’t like he didn’t understand. Bombrush was a pain in the ass and stubborn one at that. The bastard always felt the need to push himself into other people’s lives and while some men and women swooned over it, Bloodshed just wished his father would stay as far away from him as he could. And he had a feeling that Soundwave wished the same; she was just holding her tongue for Thornstriker’s sake.  
  
“I see you got away from your advisors,” she pointed out. She knew he didn’t enjoy speaking with them. He always looked so annoyed whenever he was called away. Novabomb had explained that the advisors weren’t exactly Bloodshed’s favorite people in the world and she could understand. Nero and Jugs had been rude to her before…  
  
“What they were discussing needed Bombrush’s approval, not mine.”  
  
And he more or less just walked out on them, but he didn’t want her to know that. Besides, they would send guards to Bombrush and hopefully get him to leave Soundwave alone. Neither of them wanted Thornstriker to be left unattended for so long. There were plenty of guards to protect her, yes, but… Bloodshed preferred to know that someone he could trust was with her when he could not be. He really didn’t want to leave her side, but he didn’t want to seem clingy either.  
  
He looked over her as she glanced out the window. It was embarrassing, but he… liked watching her. Which sounded creepy, but he didn’t mean it like that. Thornstriker was just… so angelic. Beautiful. Pale skin, dark wave brown hair, sparkling light blue eyes, delicate frame – she reminded him of a painting. Novabomb would have called her a doll, but he doubted Thornstriker could take that as a compliment.    
  
But seeing her gentle face, her tender gaze… His eyes fell to her lips, causing him to swallow. So pink and small and… soft. Bloodshed felt horrible, but he couldn’t get it out of his mind. It had only been for a brief moment, probably no more than two seconds. But he remembered how her lips felt against his. How soft they were, how he wanted to kiss more. Kiss harder.  
  
More than anything, he wanted to feel them again.    
  
“Bloodshed?”  
  
He snapped out of his thoughts. Oh shit, he didn’t even realize she was looking at him. He cleared his through, attempting to hide his embarrassment. “Y-Yeah?”  
  
“What’s wrong? You were spacing out…”  
  
He almost started blushing. “I-I… I was just…”  
  
“Just what?”  
  
“… Looking at… you,” he mumbled out, unable to look her in the eye.  
  
He felt like a stupid little brat, but he didn’t think he could just up and lie about this. It seemed stupid to. Besides, they were engaged. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t allowed to look at her. He wasn’t like his father, dirty bastard… He had no intentions of trying to get into Thornstriker’s skirt, she was too pure for that. All he wanted was… so simple, admittedly.  
  
With other women, it had been nothing more than sexual attraction. A way to relieve his stress and learn more about sex and the female body. There wasn’t any romance or love. He wasn’t like his father, hoping to learn how to seduce men and women better. He had no interest in being the “Casanova Prince” to match the “Casanova King” title his father had earned for himself. He merely wanted to have sex to relieve sexual frustration and nothing more than that.  
  
It wasn’t like that with her. With Thornstriker… He wanted to cherish her. He only wanted to hold her gently. Hold her hand and kiss her hair, her face, her lips… Just imagining himself put his hands on her in a sexual way disturbed him. She knew nothing about sex or lust or that sort of side of him. It almost concerned him with how naïve she was, knowing one day, that would go away, especially after they married…  
  
But he didn’t want to do that until she was ready. And if that meant never, he was fine with that. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from having other thoughts like before.  
  
“O-Oh… I-I see…”  
  
Thornstriker blushed when she processed his words, looking away as she fanned herself. She hated how easily flustered she got, but she couldn’t help it! Sometimes Bloodshed was too charming… Just like the princes from some of her books. It was hard to imagine that such men existed in real life, but they did. And he was going to be her husband.  
  
Bloodshed swallowed. Damn it, did she have to look that cute when she blushed? It only made him want to kiss her more, almost to the point where it was getting hard to control himself. Jesus, what was he? Some sort of animal?!  
  
But… She was to be his wife. Surely, if he asked this time, it would be…  
  
“Thornstriker?”  
  
“Y-Yes?”  
  
“… Can… Can I kiss you?”  
  
Her eyes widened as her entire face turned red. She almost would have asked why, but that would have been silly. They were engaged, of course they could kiss! It wasn’t seen as improper… though she did know of some noblemen and noblewomen back home who might have thought it inappropriate.  
  
But they were in her kingdom. They were in his. And they had already kissed once in front of an entire crowd of people, who didn’t seem to be offended by their little display of affection. It wouldn’t be wrong to kiss again. They were in private after all. Not to mention the last kiss hadn’t been bad.  
  
“Al-All right…”  
  
He almost smiled seeing her ears turn red. Slowly he reached out his hand to place it over hers. When she didn’t flinch and just looked up at him, he saw no fear. A bit of nervousness, but she didn’t look frightened. Still, he gave her plenty of time to turn her head away, just in case she didn’t want to do this after all. That she always had a choice, even if it was at the very last second.  
  
But she didn’t turn away. She only closed her eyes, her tiny hand holding onto his. Taking a deep breath, he finally leaned into to gently press his lips against hers. Thornstriker let out a whimper, but she didn’t pull away. So Bloodshed kept his lips there, relishing in the feel of her tiny lips against his.  
  
Because of their size difference, he couldn’t do too much with the kiss, not without scaring her anyway. But this was fine. He could still feel her lips tingle against his, soft and warm and… Jesus, what he wouldn’t have given to stay there forever. But he could feel her hand tense up in his, the young princess no doubt unsure of what to do.  
  
So, with a deep breath, he pulled away from her to see her blushing face. He finally allowed himself to smile and give a soft laugh. Which eventually caused her to giggle too, Thornstriker bringing a hand to her mouth. Which only made her look cuter… Lord, did she have to be so… perfect?  
  
He would cherish her. He would love her. He would do whatever he could to make Thornstriker marry when they became husband and wife. He swore it on his life.


	29. Chapter 29

Soundwave couldn’t have been more annoyed than she was in that moment. Per usual, the king had come in and got her away from her princess, wanting to chat. She had never met a member of the royal family with so much free time on their hands before. She had to wonder if he was even doing his job. How the entire Giant Kingdom hadn’t collapsed yet, she would never fully understand.   
  
Though that wasn’t the cause of her irritation. The king had taken her to another parlor within the castle, a much more casual lounge area for people to come and relax. And while they had been chatting, a pretty servant girl came in with snacks.  
  
And Bombrush just had to flirt with her, didn’t he?  
  
Yes, the servant girl, Amelia, was a pretty young woman. She could see it clearly, but it seemed this man would flirt with anyone with a pulse. She was fairly certain that the only reasons why Bombrush didn’t flirt with the princess were because she was his son’s fiancée and was underage. Even then, he still had a pension for teasing her.  
  
So while the king flirted shamelessly with Amelia, Soundwave merely sat back in her seat and looked out the window, doing her best to ignore it.  
  
A giggle caught her attention, but she didn’t look back at the two.  
  
“You flatter me far too much, Your Majesty.”  
  
“Now, now, what’s wrong with complimenting a pretty girl in a pretty dress?”  
  
Amelia giggled again. Soundwave rolled her eyes, but remained silent. She didn’t blame the girl for feeling giddy. Though she would never say it out loud, she acknowledged that Bombrush a handsome man. And could be very charming if he said the right words. Hell, he had even got her a few times, though she had been vulnerable during those times.    
  
Still, his flirtatious behavior wasn’t something to be completely admired. Especially when he knew she wasn’t a fan of his flirting. He wasn’t even trying to act like a decent gentleman. Just an obnoxious flirt who couldn’t give up… Even though supposedly his currently target was reciprocating him.  
  
“All right, run along Amelia. And thank you for the tea.”  
  
Amelia giggled before bowing. Soundwave turned to see her retreating from the room, once again leaving only her and Bombrush to stare at each other. And she couldn’t help but to give a look of disgust at the smug smirk on his face.   
  
“You seem bothered by something, Soundwave.”  
  
“How many gullible women have you seduced into your bed with your dispassionate flirting?”   
  
“Dispassionate?” he repeated, sounding offended. “My dear, I would never take flirting so disinterested. Every compliment I pay to someone, I mean.”  
  
“Charming.”  
  
“I try.”  
  
She rolled her eyes again before reaching to grab her tea cup. She supposed she would give him some credit there. Any time he flirted, he seemed to be… genuine. She had yet to see him flirt with someone he didn’t have an interest in. So she could credit him for not leading anyone on. That didn’t mean she had enjoyed his flirting, but she could somewhat give him credit for not being a complete bastard.   
  
And he hadn’t pulled any more stunts and hadn’t be teasing or harassing Thornstriker about kissing or the like. Perhaps he was starting to fear she would carry out her threat of poisoning him… Whatever it was, she could just be thankful the fool was starting to learn his place.   
  
“Are you perhaps jealous, Soundwave?”  
  
“Excuse me?” She turned to the king with a look of disgust on her face, which caused Bombrush to laugh and shake his head. Never mind, she took everything back, this man was still an arrogant perverted fool.    
  
“Well, you always seem annoyed with my flirting. Is it perhaps because you want me to devote all my attention to you?”  
  
She rolled her eyes and let out a noise of disgust. “I’m not interested in such arrogant men.”  
  
“Now, now, arrogant is a strong word, wouldn’t you say?”  
  
“It’s a suitable one at the moment.”  
  
Bombrush smiled. All right, he supposed he took that a bit too far. Soundwave made it very clear she didn’t see him in that sort of light and he accepted that. True, he wished she did, but he couldn’t force that on her. The most he could do was flirt with her when she allowed it. But he couldn’t take it too far, not unless he wanted her to hate him and never speak to him again. That wouldn’t do him any favors, not when he wanted to get to know her better.   
  
The giant couldn’t explain it, but there was something about this beautiful woman that intrigued him. There was so much about her he didn’t know, so much about her that he wanted to know. She was an intelligent woman and very loyal to those she deemed worthy. She was not one to flatter for her benefit and had no interest in pretending to be someone she wasn’t. It was a different change of pace compared to many noblemen and noblewomen he had dealt with at parties and such.    
  
It had been a long time since he had taken this much interest in another woman before. It was a shame she didn’t share the same feelings as him, but there was only so much he could say and do. He was lucky she indulged him in conversation, so he took that as a sign that she didn’t completely hate him. And that was good enough for him at this point.  
  
“Tell me, Soundwave.”  
  
She turned to him.  
  
“What are your children like? You mentioned before you were a mother of four boys, am I right?”  
  
Soundwave raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
He raised his hands. “I merely want to change the conversation, is all. Unless you have a preferred topic, I would love to know more about your family.”  
  
Soundwave eyed him a bit longer before letting out a sigh. Well, she couldn’t necessarily argue with that logic. Anything was better than his insufferable flirts. And at least the subject involved her sons, something she actually and truly cared about.   
  
“My eldest, Ravage, is incredibly capable,” she said, leaning back more comfortably in her chair. “He’s always been mature, even when he was a boy. He’s rather popular, fortunately, so he has plenty of friends. Though he does tend to be a little too self-sacrificing at times. I worry he won’t take care of his own needs.”  
  
“He sounds like a wonderful young man.”  
  
“He is. Laserbeak, my youngest, is a lot like him. But he’s not as tall or athletic as Ravage, but he’s incredibly intelligent. When he was a child, if there was a book within in his sights, he would read it. He’s still like that now, but with much less free time.”  
  
“And what of your other sons? They’re twins, correct?”  
  
“Yes… Rumble and Frenzy. They’re a handful, but they mean well.”   
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
She paused for a moment. God, she could still remember all the pranks they used to pull when they were younger. Even now, they were probably still causing mischief. She hoped Ravage would be able to deal with them and that the other castle staff workers weren’t ready to strangle her children. Lord only knows how many times she grew frustrated with their antics and she was their mother!  
  
But they weren’t bad children, she knew this. Troublemakers, yes, but they would never do anything to hurt anyone. They were a lot like Acid Rain, when the prince had been younger. If they knew they had done something wrong, they would apologize and take the blame.   
  
“They like to play pranks,” she finally said. “Being mischievous is one of their talents, so to speak. I wish they would pursue something in music, they’re actually quite gifted… But Frenzy and Rumble are good children, just not one for rules.”  
  
“They sound like me when I was a boy.”  
  
“You do remind me of them.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
“The three of you have a talent for giving me headaches,” she said, frowning a bit when the giant’s smile grew bigger. “Though, it’s far less charming with you. My sons actually listen to me when I discipline them.”  
  
“I listen to.”  
  
“Do you?”  
  
“I haven’t attempted anything since we agreed to start over, haven’t I?”  
  
She couldn’t deny that. He did throw the occasionally compliment every now and then, flirting whenever he found an opening, but he was much more respectful of her boundaries than before, once he realized just what sort of message he was sending. Though a part of her knew that he still wanted to take her to bed, he wasn’t being as obvious as before, which she appreciated.   
  
Now she just needed to get him to understand it was never going to happen. For one thing, he was a king. She refused to get involved with someone in such a high position and get attacked for it. She had to serve her princess and worry about her children. And also… After her first husband, she didn’t want to go through any of that horrific abuse again. It was a miracle a giant had killed him and freed her and her children from Razorcut’s hand.   
  
It didn’t matter how long ago it was. She could still remember his drunken rampages. Where he would curse her out, beat her, or force himself on her, depending on what level his anger was on. It was because of him she avoided men altogether. She couldn’t deal with another Razorcut all over again. She would go insane first and end up in prison for murder.   
  
“I suppose,” was all she said before looking out the window.   
  
Bombrush chuckled, shaking his head before taking a sip from his cup. He knew he shouldn’t push her. There was a lot he didn’t know about Soundwave… And he had a feeling that there was something she wasn’t willing to share either. He could put two and two together, but he still wanted to know why. Why she seemed to have a hard time trusting him and his son.   
  
But he couldn’t just out right ask her. She would either deny it or grow irritated with him trying to pry into her personal life. They were still not on that close of terms yet… It would probably be a good long while before she was willing to open up to him. And even then, whatever the reason she had for not being completely comfortable with them, she would probably still be hesitant to share.  
  
He was all right with that though. No matter how long it took, he would wait. Even if it took years, as long as she was finally comfortable, then he would be content.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, it's been so long and I'm so sorry! I literally have no excuse. I just got super busy and preoccupied with school and I lost almost all motivation to write this for a while. And then when I did get the motivation back, I was stuck on this chapter and what exactly I should write. It finally all came to me in the past two days.
> 
> So finally, it's here! I'm so sorry it took that long... I wish I could promise I'll never take this long again, but I honestly have no idea how long this motivation will stay. But fingers crossed! Enjoy the chapter!

Soundwave was glad to be going back to the manor. Though nothing had happened during their stay at the castle, being in the heart of the Bombrush’s kingdom was too stressful. She was constantly worrying about Thornstriker and the people around her. After that encounter with that bastard guard… She was so afraid another monster would try to put his hands on her and take advantage of her.

Not to mention she was still angry over the little stunt Bloodshed had pulled on Thornstriker. The princess assured her more than once that she was fine, but the girl was still young. She just didn’t want her to be taken advantage of by a prince who probably had never had his advances rejected by a woman before.

Still, Thornstriker assured her that she had had a wonderful time at the castle. Apparently, Bloodshed had been great company and she learned a lot of giant culture. Bloodshed had even helped her find a book about giant customs. Which Soundwave had to admit that was kind of him… After all, Thornstriker would eventually become queen and would have to know about the culture better.

So there they were, Thornstriker and Soundwave sitting in the carriage while Bloodshed and Novabomb walked beside them. The trip was relatively quiet, Thornstriker merely humming to herself while Soundwave just looked out the window. It had been a while since she had written home… Her sons probably wanted to hear from her, even if they loved to brag about how they were “grown men.”

At least Frenzy and Rumble did, despite only being sixteen. Laserbeak still tried to be act mature for his age and he was much better than the twins. But he still had his childish moments where he whined and needed her for emotional support. And while Ravage was the oldest and had the maturity of someone her age, he could only act like that for so long. She had to make sure he wasn’t overexerting himself, which he always tended to do.

“Miss Soundwave?”

The maid snapped out of her thoughts to turn to her maid. “Miss Thornstriker. Did you need something?”

“No… You seemed distracted. Are you all right?”

Soundwave hesitated only for a moment. She couldn’t just up and complain to her charge and her princess about her problems. She was there with her to serve, not demand. Besides, it wasn’t as if she had lost all contact with her children. She could easily write them a letter and they would no doubt respond as soon as possible. Especially Ravage.

Not to mention they weren’t babies or child… Teenagers, yes, but they were old enough to take care of themselves for the most part. And Ravage was there to help his younger siblings for anything they needed an actual adult for. They didn’t really need her anymore. When she had been their age, she had already been married. She had given birth to Ravage before she was even the twins’ age… Though that hadn’t been a good thing.

She shook her head of such thoughts, turning back to Thornstriker. “I’m fine, Your Highness. I’m merely thinking of writing my family when we return to the manor.”

“Oh!” A small smile came over the princess’s face. “I’m sure they would love to hear from you. I had written a letter to my own family a few days before we left. I do hope that they were able to write back to me.”

Soundwave nodded, glad she was able to avoid delving into her personal problems. Thornstriker was more than kind, but she didn’t need her worrying about troubles she could handle herself. After all, the princess already had so much on her shoulders. She didn’t need to burden her any further, especially not when His and Her Majesties entrusted her to take care of her.

She would not fail them. She had promised.

* * *

The had gotten back to the manor a little bit ago. Thornstriker retreated to her room to rest while Soundwave had gone to the library to write letters. Or read, Bloodshed wasn’t sure.

Since it was Tuesday, Bloodshed was currently in his room, getting ready to go out again. Thankfully, Thornstriker already knew he was out during this time, so she didn’t question him. Soundwave eyed him every now and then, but she never demanded he tell her where he would run off to.

He couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t have understood since they didn’t have the same culture. But as the Prince, he had to interact with the people. One of the best ways to interact with other giants was to meet them in the fighting rings. It wasn’t illegal (the betting was, but that was harder to regulate) and it helped get out tension and aggression. It was merely a sport he actually liked doing.

But humans would no doubt see that as something barbaric or monstrous. Thornstriker would not doubt think the same, given how gentle and kind she was. She probably would have been disgusted by him… And then Bombrush would try to help him out, only to mess it up and make him lose worse.

God, Bloodshed was so glad that Bombrush had been unable to come back to the manor with them. His advisors had gotten a hold of him and told him he had to stay behind. Apparently, the older man had been skipping out on a lot of meetings lately and there were things to be tended to that Bombrush couldn’t put off much longer.

He knew the old man hated paper work, which made him pretty happy. Any time he knew the other was having a hard time always made his day. Especially after everything that had happened back when they announced his and Thornstriker’s engagement.

Yes, he had been the one to do it in the end, but Bombrush had been the one to suggest and push for it. Then he laughed afterwards at the panic attack he went through, fearing Thornstriker would hate him and be disgusted by him. Worst case scenario, he thought she would end their engagement.

Fortunately, that hadn’t happened. Though Soundwave was still giving him the evil eye… He prayed she wouldn’t paint him in a bad light if she wrote to Thornstriker’s parents about him.

“Hey, Bloodshed?”

He looked up, seeing Novabomb standing at the door with that big grin on his face. He huffed, turning his attention back to his boots. “Yeah?”

“You ready yet? They open in an hour and you know how slow I walk.”

“Then you get a head start and I’ll follow.”

The smaller giant pursed his lips, furrowing his brows into a childish pout. “But it’s boring walking by myself. No one to talk to.”

“Maybe it’ll teach you to be quiet.”

Novabomb pouted again. Geez, Bloodshed could be so rude sometimes. Besides, they hadn’t been able hang out much lately, what with him getting a fiancée and everything. These walks and just Tuesday in general were really the only times they could be friends and he didn’t have to pretend to be bow at the guy’s feet.

On these days, they could just be friends, guying around and hanging out with people like him. If people didn’t know Bloodshed was the prince, he would fit right in with “normal people.” He wasn’t like all the other bluebloods who seemed to sneer at anyone. Giants may have not have been as bad as humans, but they weren’t exactly the best either.

But Bloodshed and his father weren’t like that. It was probably why they were so popular among the public. If only humans could see that and not be so afraid of giants…

Though, he supposed he could kind of understand it. After all, it was natural for people to be afraid of something bigger than them. Kind of like how animals naturally ran away from bigger things if they got too close. Though at least unlike humans, animals didn’t accuse giants of being man-eating monsters out for blood.

A huff caught his attention, causing him to turn back. Bloodshed had stood up before walking over to grab his light pack from the table.

“You ready?”

“Yeah… Does Thornstriker know we’re-?”

“I let her know we were bailing out for a bit and probably wouldn’t be back until after supper. She looked a little bummed though. Maybe we should-”

“No.”

He frowned. “You didn’t even let me finish my sentence.”

“I already know what you’re going to ask.”

“Well then, why can’t we bring her? It’s give her a chance to interact with the people, you know.”

“She’s not ready… and I don’t want her in that place.”

Novabomb just sighed, shaking his head. Well, he supposed Bloodshed had a point. Thornstriker was all small and cute and innocent. Not to mention a human to boot. She would have been terrified by the fighting pits and think that they were dirty and awful and something horrible like the underground human fighting rings they had.

Maybe he could try to explain to her just what the fighting rings did for giants. How it wasn’t like those filthy, backwoods places humans had where it was generally poor slaves that had to fight for survival. Their matches weren’t too the death or anything. Just some harmless, hand-to-hand fighting.

And if someone did get hurt (which happened plenty), there was a qualified nursing staff on sight with their own medical section. It was all in good fun! Surely Thornstriker, being as open-minded as she was, would understand that.

But he didn’t press the prince as he walked out of the room. Novabomb happily followed suit, humming to himself as they headed down the stairs. They probably wouldn’t be there that long today anyway. Just enough for Bloodshed to get a couple of good fights in before coming back home.

Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the door to the left opened. They both turned, surprised to see Thornstriker walking out the door with two of the human maids in the house. The maids bowed when they saw the prince while Thornstriker just smiled.

“Leaving already?” she asked.

Bloodshed nodded, kneeling down in front of her. He felt a little guilty for not letting her know where he was going, but it was just better if she didn’t know. He would have to tell her eventually, but… not now. They had only been together for two months, she wasn’t ready to know about what he did to interact with the people.

“Are you certain you won’t be back in time for supper?”

“I don’t know,” he said. He hoped he would though. He enjoyed having meals with her. And he didn’t want her to feel lonely if he wasn’t there to eat with her. After all, it wasn’t like any of the staff would eat with her. That would have considered improper.

She looked a little disappointed, but quickly smiled and nodded. “Hmm. I’ll see you when you return then?”

He nodded.

“All right.”

Feeling a little bold, especially since Soundwave wasn’t around to give him the evil eye, he leaned down to plant a soft kiss to her cheek. Her eyes widened, a blush coming across her face as she just stared at him in shock.

“See you later.”

She didn’t reply, only waving one hand as the other held her red cheek.

Now feeling the embarrassment come over him, Bloodshed quickly cleared his throat and headed out the door. Novabomb followed and he could hear the younger man chuckling behind him. What he wouldn’t give to just knock his front tooth out… He was just as bad as his father! Why did everyone insist on laughing at him?!

All right, yes, he did act different around Thornstriker compared to other women. But she was special. She didn’t want to sleep with him for the bragging rights. She was an innocent young woman, having never even kissed before this engagement. And she was to be his wife. He couldn’t just treat her like some nameless one night stand.

He reached up and rubbed his eyes, knowing the second they were far enough away, Novabomb would start teasing him. And he was not looking forward to that.

* * *

Soundwave watched from the library window Bloodshed and Novabomb leave the front gate. The shorter giant started poking at the prince’s arm, giggling like a school girl. Bloodshed turned to glare at him, saying something to the other, which made Novabomb laugh hard enough to have it echo to the window.

She wished she knew where they went every Tuesday. She also wished she knew why they wouldn’t tell her or Thornstriker specifically where either. The other servants seemed to know, but they had clearly been sworn to secrecy. No one was willing to tell her just where the young prince and his companion ran off to.

And Thornstriker would never see them return. She did though. Only a couple times, but they definitely did not come back as clean as they did before. Their shirts were always dirty, sometimes torn… and sometimes with bloodstains on them. Once, Novabomb had returned with a black eye and Bloodshed had said that he had fallen.

While Thornstriker was fooled, she hadn’t been. Something was going on that no one was willing to share with her. While she didn’t think that Bloodshed was some sort of murderer, whatever he was doing wasn’t anything good. A prince may have needed his time alone, but she honestly would have preferred if he returned with lipstick on his collar over blood. Blood indicated whatever he was involved in was something violent.

And it had to have been brutal enough that he refused to let her or Thornstriker know exactly what he was up to.

She glanced down at the letter she was writing. She had already finished writing to her sons. Now she was working on the letter to Queen Charlotte. While she wanted to inform of the queen of her suspicions, she didn’t have any proof that what Bloodshed was doing was potentially a bad thing. Not to mention she didn’t need this to break off the engagement. That would only cause more problems that it was worth.

But she had to tell the king and queen something. Just enough so that they would directly ask Thornstriker in any of their letters to her. Surely if they asked, Thornstriker would be more open to suggesting her fiancé and not just blindly accepting everything he told her.

She picked up her quill, dipping it into the ink before slowly continuing her letter. Perhaps she could just briefly mention what had occurred at the kingdom with the announcement. Make it appear completely innocuous. Besides, if King Ultra Magnus or Queen Charlotte didn’t bring anything up about the matter, Soundwave was certain Prince Airstream would. He was the most protective over Thornstriker, so she didn’t doubt he would have a problem with her being kissed by a giant so frivolously, even if the giant was to be her husband.

She would also mention how Bloodshed would go off on his own on Tuesdays. She would not mention the blood or the injuries, but it was definitely something for the royals to consider and worry about. They could do what she could not. They could maybe warn Thornstriker that perhaps, it wasn’t too late.

All she needed to do was give the proper push. She didn’t want to risk tensions between the kingdoms, but she would not subject Thornstriker to a loveless and violent marriage. No woman should ever have to endure the same hell she had to for so long. And she had been lucky. She had only gotten out thanks to a kind-hearted giant. Not everyone could be so fortunate to have their abusive spouse be killed off.

It didn’t matter if Thornstriker doing this for her people. It didn’t matter if marriage was the only way to secure peace. Soundwave would not allow her charge to be as miserable and afraid as she had been most of her life. And this was the only way she could do it. By just giving a little push here and there.

So she wrote. It was a chance to either save Thornstriker or at least find out what Bloodshed was doing. If he had an explanation, then she would have been more than willing to hear it. She doubted it would change much, but it would have been something.

But she couldn’t do anything else now. She would just have to wait and see.


	31. Chapter 31

Supper had come and gone, but Bloodshed and Novabomb still hadn’t return. Even when the sun had fully set, they had yet to come home. Worried, Thornstriker insisted she stay up and wait for them in the parlor. Soundwave and the others had tried to tell her that she should rest, but the princess wasn’t having it. She would wait until her fiancé and his friend returned.

So Soundwave chose to wait with her. Admittedly, she was curious as to where Bloodshed and Novabomb were as well. When they went on their normal trips, they were normally back in a few hours. It had almost been over seven… She had hoped nothing serious had happened to then. For one thing, that wouldn’t do the kingdom well to know their prince was missing. But she also knew Thornstriker would be upset and want to try looking for him herself.

She couldn’t let the princess do it. Her intentions were noble, but it was far too dangerous for her to be going out at night, even if she had guards. She was a perfect target for ransom or, if someone had issue with Bloodshed marrying a human, assassination. Soundwave couldn’t protect her from a giant assassin.

Soundwave worked on her crocheting, continuously glancing up at Thornstriker. The young princess was perched on a chair by the window, gazing out the window. Her book was still resting in her lap, but it was off to the side on her skirt and fallen over.

“Your Highness?”

Thornstriker turned back to her maid.

“I’m sure Prince Bloodshed and Novabomb will return soon. Perhaps you should head to be sleep, it is late.”

“N-No, I want to wait. I want to make sure they’re all right.”

Soundwave nodded before going back to the blanket she was working on. She did hope that the two giants were okay, for Thornstriker’s sake. She didn’t need the princess become hysterical because the giants decided to be reckless and get themselves hurt.

She glanced at the grandfather clock. It was nearly eleven. Thornstriker usually went to bed by this time, but she still needed to bathe first. Thankfully, she had nothing to do in the morning, so she could let the princess sleep in a little longer than usual. Still, the longer Bloodshed and Novabomb were gone, the longer Thornstriker would stay up worrying about them.

A sudden creak caught their attention. They both perked, seeing two figures stumbling through the darkness. Thornstriker immediately recognized one taller figure as Bloodshed. A wave of relief came over her, her shoulders slumping as she leaned back into her chair. Thank goodness, she thought something bad might have happened to them. Even though she knew Bloodshed was strong, that didn’t mean he couldn’t get hurt…

Soundwave merely watched the two men through the window. Strange, Novabomb seemed to be helping Bloodshed walk. Almost as if the prince was injured. Slightly concerned, she placed down her crocheting and stood up.

“I’ll only be a moment, Your Highness,” she said, bowing politely to her.

Thornstriker nodded, her gaze still following the two men as they drew closer to the door.

Soundwave walked out into the hallway, seeing another human maid coming out of the dining area as another giant servant made their way towards the door. The servants walked towards the door, opening it wide to allow Novabomb help Bloodshed inside.

“Oh my – Your Highness?!”

Soundwave’s eyes widened, leaning back a bit in shock. There was a bandage wrapped around his head, blood staining it along with a large gash over his eyebrow. His shirt was dirty and torn and she could see bruises started to form on his body. She could only stare with wide eyes, stunned for a few moments as she tried to figure what to say.

But when she saw the other human maid move, she knew she didn’t have time to speculate. She quickly followed the other maid, going through her mind what they needed to get. Someone would have to go find a doctor, just in case something more serious had happened. They would need towels, warm water, medicine…

Sparing the prince once last glance as he entered the room, Soundwave headed off to the back to get help.

Novabomb steadied his friend as best as he could, the servant rushing to Bloodshed’s other side to help him walk. Unfortunately, his ankle had been messed up too, so the prince had some trouble walking.

Bloodshed should have considered himself lucky, if Novabomb was being honest. They had gone to the fighting ring, as usual, and everything had been fine. Until about towards the end, where this new guy had showed up and challenged Bloodshed to a match. Novabomb hadn’t liked him; he reminded him too much of those assholes with monster-egos he would run into a lot on the streets when he was a kid.

But the prince saw no reason to decline and accepted the challenge. The guy fought dirty, throwing cheap shots to Bloodshed’s face and chest. Luckily, he hadn’t been fazed by it and the fight only lasted a few minutes with Bloodshed emerging as the victor.

And the challenger hadn’t liked that at all. Considering how he had been huffing and puffing about how great of a fighter he was, it must have been quite a blow. One that prompted him to seek revenge on the prince, of all people.

Novabomb still wasn’t sure if the guy was just stupid or that insecure with himself, but he didn’t get the chance to figure it out. He and Bloodshed had left the ring and were on the way home when the guy and three of his buddies seemingly jumped out of nowhere, one of them carrying a club. Bloodshed had ordered Novabomb to go back to the ring and get help from the guards stationed there.

Looking back on it now, he probably shouldn’t have listened to him. Because he had left, even if it was only a few minutes, Bloodshed had taken a beating. Though the attackers didn’t exactly fair well themselves and to think there was four of them.

At least those bastards would get what was coming to them. You didn’t attack a prince and not get arrested. And knowing how protective Bombrush could be over his only son, they would probably be executed within the week.

“Your Highness, are you all right?” the servant asked, helping Novabomb bring him into the parlor.

“Yeah, fine…” Everything hurt like hell, but he would live. He just needed some ointment and some bandages for now. They could get a doctor to come tomorrow. All he wanted to do was just try and get some sleep on the couch…

Though when they entered the parlor, he wasn’t expecting to see Thornstriker sitting by the window. Nor was he expecting her face to twist into an expression of horror upon seeing him all messed up and bloodied. Great, just perfect, now she knew he had gone someplace she would probably consider sketchy…

“Bl-Bloodshed?!” she cried, moving to stand up.

“I-I’m fine, I’m fine,” he mumbled out as Novabomb and the servant laid him down on the couch. He groaned at the sudden slump, his head throbbing as the servant moved to elevate his head with the pillow.

“What happened?!”

Thornstriker rushed over to his side, stepping out onto the small platforms set up for humans who needed help getting onto the furniture. Novabomb hung back while the servant left to go help Soundwave and the others get some supplies to help the wounded prince. All Thornstriker could do was pull her small handkerchief from her sleeve and gently dab at the blood still on his face.

“No, Thornstriker, I’m fine-”

“You’re bleeding! You’re most certainly not fine!”

Bloodshed remained silent as she continued to dirty the cloth with blood and grime. She looked so distraught, almost looking as if she were about to burst into tears. Damn it, he had thought she would have been asleep by now. Normally she went to bed at around nine-thirty, ten at the latest… And he would have figured Soundwave would have ushered her to bed, not wanting the princess to miss a night’s rest worrying about him.

Where even was the maid anyway? When his stupid father wasn’t pulling her away, she usually stuck to Thornstriker like glue. He might have missed her… which probably meant she saw him like this. All fucked up and bloodied and was probably thinking he was some sort of thug that brawled on the streets. Because that was just what he needed right now…

Thornstriker would have demanded to know what had happened again when several servants had entered. She was hesitant to move away from Bloodshed, but she knew her tiny handkerchief, which was now covered in blood. Holding back her tears, she quickly stepped out of the way while the giant servants got to work.

Two human maids stood off to the side while one giant worked to help Bloodshed removed his shoes and the other was cleaning up the wounds on his face. All Thornstriker could do was stand back and worry, fearing that he was in worse shape than he was letting off. Why was he so beaten up? Someone had to have attacked him… She spared a glance to Novabomb; he only had a few bruises, but he didn’t look nearly as bad as Bloodshed did.

Had he been attacked while Novabomb wasn’t around? Had someone tried to kill him? Or was this place he liked to go to every Tuesday just a dangerous place? She just wanted to know what had happened…

Hands suddenly rested on her shoulders. She jumped, only to turn around and see Soundwave standing behind her with a soft look on her face.

“S-Soundwave…” God, she could already feel the tears coming. She wanted to help, but there was literally nothing she could do. Bloodshed seemed like he was in so much pain and she was just standing their useless…

Soundwave gently shushed her, patting her head and gently taking the dirty handkerchief away from her. Then she pulled Thornstriker into a hug, Thornstriker clinging to her as she shook. The poor thing was trying her best to stay strong, but she never had to before. She had been babied and protected her entire life…

The maid glanced at Bloodshed, who was just staring up at the ceiling. He looked to be in pain, even more so when the servants applied any pressure to his wounds. But he forced himself to stay quiet, his eyes occasionally glancing over at her and Thornstriker.

At least he was trying to act normal for her sake. Make Thornstriker believe that his wounds weren’t that bad, that she didn’t have to worry… Soundwave had to appreciate and respect that. He cared enough about his fiancée to not make her worry. Razorcut would have just whined and probably blamed her for injuries she had nothing to do with. She was thankful this giant wasn’t like that.

Though it still didn’t answer her question as to how he even became so injured. She had tried to listen to the other servants, but they only spoke in hushed whispers. Probably on purpose so she wouldn’t find out where the prince had been.

He would have to answer her questions now though. Thornstriker would no doubt demand answers… And whether or not Bloodshed lied to her would let Soundwave know just how much she could actually trust this giant. The past few days, he had proven himself to sincere… with a few hesitations like his sudden disappearances every Tuesday.

But Thornstriker would get the answers she deserved today. Soundwave dared Bloodshed to try and lie his way out of this one.

* * *

It was almost midnight by the time the servants were done tending to Bloodshed. His wounds were all patched up for now and he was resting comfortably on the couch. They would bring in a doctor in the morning to make sure nothing was broken, so he would have to wait on taking a proper bath. At least he had taken a quick scrub before he left the fighting ring.

But now he was lying down with nowhere to run, Novabomb sitting on the floor against the wall while Soundwave was sitting on a chair across from him, working on her crotchet. Thornstriker was kneeling down on the little stool next to his face. She was running her hand gently through his hair in an attempt to get him to relax.

Neither Soundwave or Thornstriker had said anything yet, but he knew questions were coming. Especially from Soundwave, even if she decided to remain silent. He didn’t want either of them getting the wrong idea, especially when he knew Soundwave would write to Queen Charlotte about how Thornstriker was doing.

She would no doubt write a letter about him coming home all beat up and bloodied with no explanation. He couldn’t have that! He didn’t need the human kingdom or even Thornstriker that he was some sort of monster…

How would he even explain this to them though? There was no way humans would understand giant fighting rings and how they weren’t the same as human ones. And if he explained it poorly, they would think that giants were just mindless thugs. He couldn’t have that either, considering that would also get the giant population pissed at him too.

“How are you feeling?”

He snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes darting to Thornstriker. She was still looking over him with worry apparent in her eyes. It actually made him smile softly, moving up a hand to gently brush his fingers against her cheek. “I’m fine now. Thanks.”

She nodded slowly, pulling her hand from his hair and sitting up straight. “Bloodshed, what… what happened? You’ve never come back like this…”

His smile faded. He could see Soundwave turn to look at him too out of the corner of his eye, making him look back up at the ceiling. Yeah, there was no other way around this. He would have to tell them now or never… and telling them never seemed like the worst thing to do.

With a heavy huff, he readjusted him on the couch before turning back to her. “Thornstriker, do you think you can keep an… open mind about what I’m going to say?”

She hesitantly nodded, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“I… Giants… We used to be a pretty nomadic race. Just wandered around a lot, made camp, and the like.” He knew she probably knew this was from her studies, but he wanted to be certain. “One thing we used to do a lot, before we established kingdoms… We had a Grand Festival that lasted about two weeks. Where all the nomadic tribes would gather in a sense of unity and whatnot.”

Thornstriker nodded to show she was listening.

“… One of the things we did was… we have a fighting ring,” he said slowly, keeping his eyes locked on her face. “Giants… It’s just a thing we would do during the Grand Festival. To see who was the strongest and to make their tribes proud. Nothing to the death, nothing like that, only adults and just… it helped get out any tension and the like. It was a social thing, nothing violent, betting was illegal…”

She just continued to stare at him. She looked a little perplexed, but he didn’t see any fear or disgust in her eyes that he felt encouraged to continue.

“Even after the nomadic tribes ended and so did the Grand Festivals… A lot of giant kingdoms kept up the fighting rings.”

Her eyes widened at that.

“I-It gives people jobs,” he quickly added. “We have guards there and we have a medic center, in case anyone gets hurt. Vendors are there too… Lot of smaller businesses can make money. There’s fighting, but it helps reminds us of tradition a-and it helps the lower class get some stress out.”

“… And you go there too?”

“… Yes. Just like Bombrush did when he was younger. It-! It helps us… interact with the people. They see us on a more… personal level. Like we care. So it garners support, which will help when I finally succeed my father. And I didn’t tell you because… I thought you would think about it wrongly. I-I didn’t you want you to think this was some barbaric, backdoor, illegal ring where people are forced to fight. It’s not like that, I swear.”

Thornstriker didn’t say anything, looking down at her hands. So… he went to this fighting ring every Tuesday. To interact with the people. And though he didn’t say it, he also probably went because he liked fighting as his stress reliever. And she wasn’t sure how to feel about that part. She had always hated violence and had tried to help her father with advocating against the human underground fighting rings…

But at least it seemed the fighting rings here were different from the ones back home. Back home, it was mainly people being forced to fight, whether due to slavery or they had no choice. Not to mention that, along with the fighting ring, there was a lot of other immoral behavior going around like gambling on these fights and prostitution.

How he made fighting rings seem in the giant kingdom… It was just for sport. And betting was illegal here too. They did this just for fun… and tradition.

She still wasn’t sure if she really approved, but she at least understood it a little bit.

Bloodshed didn’t like the conflicted look on her face, but it was still better than anything else he might have expected. “Today… There was this newcomer. He came in with his friends, acting all tough and drinking… Then he challenged me to a fight. I won and-”

“And the dude didn’t like it,” Novabomb suddenly chimed in, everyone turning to the giant still sitting on the floor. “I knew guys like that person growing up. Arrogant and hot-headed and get their egos bruised easily. Alcohol doesn’t help. So when me and Bloodshed were heading out, he and his friends attacked us with clubs.”

Thornstriker eyes widened in horror. “A-Attacked-?!”

“It’s fine, I’m fine now,” Bloodshed assured her.

“Yeah, though he fought them off by himself and told me to get help. We weren’t far from the ring, so I just ran back and got some help.”

“But that was incredibly dangerous.” Everyone looked to Soundwave, who had her needles resting on her lap. “You could have been killed, especially if your attackers had weapons.”

“I know, but their target was me. Running off wouldn’t have done any good since I would have been able to outrun them. Then they would just cause more problems for others.”

“Thanks for our dear prince here, the guards from the ring caught them. So now they’ll live in a jail cell for a bit, get judged, and then probably get-!”

“Nova.”

The smaller giant shut him mouth, pursing his lips as he avoided Bloodshed’s dark gaze. Geez, even when he was injured and in pain, he could still make the scariest faces… Besides, it wasn’t like Thornstriker or Soundwave didn’t know what would happen to those guys anyway. Bloodshed was royalty! A person didn’t just try to kill a royal and not expect to get executed. Everyone knew that, including humans.

Once he knew the other would keep quiet, Bloodshed looked back to the two humans. “I’m going to be fine. The doctor will come tomorrow and make sure nothing serious is broken. But you don’t have to worry.”

Thornstriker looked down at her hands. She knew that everything was okay now, but… Why did he have to wait for something serious to happen before telling her what he had been doing? She was to be his wife, wasn’t she? You weren’t supposed to keep secrets from your spouses…

“… I wish you would have told me about this before,” Thornstriker murmured quietly.

“I… didn’t know how you would feel about it,” he said. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea…”

“I still wish you would have told me the truth.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

The room fell silent. Novabomb looked a little uneasy, looking between the two royals and the maid. All Soundwave did was stare intently at Bloodshed, studying over his face as he looked over Thornstriker, who had her head hung as she looked at her hands. The prince seemed genuinely concerned, one of his hands hesitating to move up and attempt to comfort the princess.

She let out a heavy sigh and shook her head, slowly standing up and walking over to the stool Thornstriker was kneeling down.

“Your Highness.”

Thornstriker turned to face her maid.

“It’s past midnight. Perhaps now would be a good time to retire and let Prince Bloodshed rest.”

Thornstriker knew what her maid was trying to do. She knew the other was worried about her, but she also knew that she needed some space from her fiancé. To allow her to think through everything herself. And Bloodshed did need rest… He definitely had a long hard day and his injuries needed to heal. Stressing over the fact he kept this from her wasn’t going to help anyone.

With a deep sigh, she curtseyed to Bloodshed before allowing Soundwave to escort her from the room. Bloodshed wait a few moments, just to make sure that they were far enough away, but he ran a hand over his face and groaned.

Damn it, he should have known this would have blown up in his face. He should have come in through the back door. He could have told her what had happened at a later date, when the timing was right and he wasn’t covered in bruises and bandages. At least that way, Thornstriker probably would haven’t been as upset as he made her. And Primus only knew what Soundwave thought and what she would write to the human king and queen. Damn it… This was just a disaster.

* * *

Once Thornstriker had been bathed and put to sleep, Soundwave had retreated to the library. She had ripped up the letter meant for Queen Charlotte, throwing it into the fire place to let it burn. She just sat on her chair, watching the fire before looking at the new paper on the table and trying to think of what to write Her Majesty.

Thornstriker may have been upset, but Soundwave could see that Bloodshed was sincerely remorseful. And she had nothing against the giant’s version of a fighting ring. It sounded like a legitimate business, a legal sport that was prepared to handle and respect spectators and players. It sounded nothing like the horrors of the underground human rings.

And she could understand Bloodshed’s reasons. He wasn’t doing this to get out some violent aggression he had bottled up. He was doing this to interact with the people and just relieve stress. Which was much better than him being like her husband and turning to alcohol to tune out the stress. He wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.

And he wasn’t trying to hurt Thornstriker either. She had seen the regret on his face, in his eyes… They weren’t lies or facades like Razorcut. She knew what that looked like. But the prince… He meant it. He never wanted to lie to or hurt Thornstriker. He genuinely just didn’t want her to hate him. &nbsp

So Thornstriker’s parents didn’t need to know about this from her. All that would do at this point was cause needless worry Considering how Thornstriker felt about it personally, the princess should have been the one to tell her parents. And she probably would write something about it in her neck letter. Besides, she probably had questions Soundwave never thought to ask. It was only fair to leave it to the princess.

With a soft sigh, Soundwave began to write her new letter. Just to let them know how Thornstriker was fairing and how Bloodshed was treating. And she wouldn’t say any more than that.


End file.
